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The Indian team celebrating Diwali at a dinner organised by DY Patil StadiumMuch has been said about how the Indian team created history on 2 November 2025 at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai when it lifted the ICC Women's ODI World Cup for the first time.
But things could have been very different.
DY Patil Stadium was only approached because the matches were moved out of Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium, as it failed to secure permission for hosting the games due to safety reasons.
Vrundan Jadhav, project director, DY Patil, stated how the stadium was more than ready to accept BCCI’s question about its availability.
He said, “We got less than two months to prepare. We got in touch with the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) and ICC (International Cricket Council) as well to understand their brand guidelines and what is allowed and what isn’t. What the BCCI and ICC appreciated was that the stadium itself wanted to promote the tournament through some planned activations we did in partnership with our agency, W.A.Y.S (What Are You Saying).”
Among the activations was a roadshow in Navi Mumbai to promote the tournament, along with a message that the stadium experience is superior to watching it on television.
“We created a campaign to drive more people to come to the venue without knowing if India is going to qualify for the semi-final (or final). As of then, it was just two India matches and then a semi and a final. But we were quite optimistic about the whole thing,” said Jadhav.
Talking about the campaign, Sagar Mehta, co-founder and creative chief, W.A.Y.S. said, "The intent was to build a campaign that delivered a truly top-tier experience for everyone involved — players, fans, organisers, students, and local authorities. The goal wasn’t just to play host; it was to create something memorable, meaningful, and lasting."
W.A.Y.S. and DY Patil stadium have been working together since the agency kicked off its operations in 2017.
"Whether it has been a Coldplay concert, a Justin Bieber tour stop, the FIFA U-17 World Cup, or the recent Women’s World Cup, the expectation remains unchanged. The scale may vary, but the goal is constant — ensure every interaction with the DY Patil brand stands for excellence. The mandate has always been consistent: deliver an experience that feels exceptional to every stakeholder who walks through those gates," he added.
The action shifted to Navi Mumbai after the Indian women's team faced three back-to-back losses against England, South Africa, and Australia.
And in order to change that, before the team played New Zealand on 23 October, the stadium created a homely atmosphere for the team during Diwali.
Mehta explained, "We quietly collaborated with the team management to plan something special. Every element was built around comfort, nostalgia, and belonging. We even found out, secretly, what each player missed most from home and curated the dinner around that. They walked into a Diwali-lit setup, with personalised menus carrying their names, their stories, and their favourite dishes. We even had crackers and laughter and, for one night, the world’s best athletes turned into carefree kids again."
That dinner is part of JioHotstar's 'Follow The Blues' series, and the Indian cricket team shared a reel in collaboration with the DY Patil Stadium page to increase the page's organic reach.
And according to Mehta, that could have been a spark for the turnaround.
"We heard the mood shifted in the dressing room after that night. They carried that spark into the next game and went on to dominate the Kiwis. So maybe, just maybe, we played a tiny role in that turnaround."
W.A.Y.S. and DY Patil also rolled out a city-wide activation where fans could send handwritten messages to players on special cards. According to Mehta, over 3,000 messages poured in.
"All these messages were pasted on a wall outside the training area. The players loved it so much that they requested that it be moved inside the dressing room. Two pieces of content around this from the Indian cricket team handle gathered millions of views and reach for the brand, but the real victory was seeing players get teary-eyed while reading fan messages. The goal was to make the players feel the difference between playing at DY Patil and every other stadium in the world. And we did that."
After the NZ game, came a rain-affected game against Bangladesh, before India took on favourites Australia in the semi-final.
During the semi-final, as India’s victory over Australia started looking probable, the demand for tickets for the final increased, prompting the official ticketing partner to close ticket sales and put a ‘coming soon’ tag for the final.
With the tag staying on till a day before the final, and then quickly changing to ‘sold out’, many fans flocked to the stadium, looking to queue up outside the box office at the venue to get their hands on tickets.
However, there were none available, leading to some negative press for the portal as well as DY Patil stadium.
Clarifying DY Patil’s stance on this, Jadhav said, “The ‘coming soon’ tag created a lot of anxiety for fans. W.A.Y.S. was handling our social media platform, and we got loads of people asking us for clarity on tickets. There was a bit of to and fro in terms of how hospitality was to be taken care of. For that reason, they didn't really call it a sold-out event. But then we reached out to ICC and BCCI and flagged this whole issue, they changed it to sold out. We kind of managed the situation at the gates, but it was sad that those fans couldn’t get the tickets.”
Talking about how the stadium now aims to continue growing women's cricket in India, Jadhav stated, "DY Patil Stadium is already regarded as the home of women’s cricket in India. That title has been bestowed on us collectively by the players, supporters, and organisers. Our focus now is on deepening that foundation and making every future experience more immersive, inclusive, and memorable."
On the overall campaign, Radhika Varma, co-founder, W.A.Y.S., stated, "Great marketing is not confined to ad films, social media trends, or vanity metrics. It lives in real experiences that move people. Every detail, every touchpoint, is an opportunity to tell a story that connects. Seeing Team India lift the World Cup and knowing we played a small part in that journey was an incredibly fulfilling moment for our entire team.”
Vijay Patil, president, DY Patil Stadium, concluded, “This campaign has been historic for us - not just for the full houses or the flawless execution, but for what it meant emotionally. Watching the Indian team lift the cup on our turf was pure joy. The marketing campaign and the way the W.A.Y.S. team delivered the essence of brand DY Patil across every touchpoint were exceptional. I’d like to thank Radhika and her entire team for being true partners in this journey - thoughtful, relentless, and full of heart.”
