India has always been a country that has produced some of the best cricket players in the world. However, in recent years, India has also seen an increase in the number of talented women cricketers.
This blog post explains why women’s cricket isn’t popular plus the best women cricketers in India who are expected to make an impact in 2022.
Why is Women’s Cricket Not More Popular in India?
While the game of cricket has been around for centuries, it has only been in the last few decades that the women’s game has started to gain traction. In spite of this, the sport is still not nearly as popular as the men’s game in India.
There are a number of factors that contribute to this lack of popularity, including the historical imbalance between the two sexes, and the lack of resources and viewers.
However, with the recent increase in investment and the advancements being made by the women’s team, there is hope that the sport will soon become more popular in India. Even now, there are more interest in women’s cricket as the newest in India online casinos now involve cricket as part of their betting games. Going by the trend, the numbers are expected to increase in 2023 into the nearest future.
Top 5 Indian Best Women Cricketers of 2022
These women players have demonstrated their skill and potential by achieving great results both domestically and internationally. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at these amazing athletes!
- Smriti Mandhana
The first name on this list is Smriti Mandhana. She is currently the vice-captain of the Indian women’s cricket team and is one of the most destructive batswomen in the world. Mandhana made her debut for India in 2013 at the age of just 18 and she has since gone on to score over 2000 runs in ODIs and 1000 runs in Test matches. In 2018, Mandhana was named the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year and the ICC Women’s ODI Player of the Year thanks to her performances for India and her domestic team, the Trailblazers.
- Poonam Yadav
She is a leg-spinner who made her debut for India back in 2013. Yadav has been a key member of the Indian team ever since and has played an important role in helping the team to win several tournaments. In 2019, she was named as one of the five players of the tournament in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. Yadav is currently the leading wicket-taker in T20Is for India and she is expected to play a key role in the team’s success in the future.
- Mithali Raj
She is the captain of the Indian women’s cricket team and is widely regarded as one of the best batswomen in the world. Raj made her debut for India back in 1999 and she has since gone on to score over 6000 runs in ODIs and 7000 runs in Test matches. Raj is the only player, male or female, to score seven consecutive centuries in ODIs and she is also the leading run-scorer in women’s international cricket.
- Jhulan Goswami
She is a fast bowler who made her debut for India back in 2002. Goswami is the leading wicket-taker in women’s international cricket and she has played a key role in helping India to win several tournaments. In 2007, she was named the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year thanks to her performances for India and her domestic team, the Bengal Tigers.
- Harmanpreet Kaur
She is the current captain of the Indian women’s cricket team and is one of the most destructive batswomen in the world. Kaur made her debut for India back in 2009 and she has since gone on to score over 2000 runs in ODIs and 3000 runs in T20Is. Kaur was the first Indian woman to play in the Women’s Big Bash League when she signed with the Sydney Thunder in 2016. She is currently the leading run-scorer for India in T20Is and is expected to play a key role in the team’s success in the future.
Salary Differences Between Men’s and Women’s Teams in Indian Cricket
India is the newest cricketing nation to adopt the ladies’ game and the BCCI is responsible for the management of both men’s and women’s cricket in the country.
The board has been very supportive of the growth of the women’s game in India and has provided financial assistance to the women’s cricket team. The BCCI has also invested in the development of infrastructure for the women’s game.
Despite these measures, there remains a large disparity in the salaries of the men’s and women’s teams. The men’s team receives a daily allowance of Rs 12,500 while the women’s team only gets Rs 5,000. The men’s team also gets a match fee of Rs 1 lakh while the women’s team only receives Rs 10,000. In addition, the men’s team gets a bonus of Rs 15 lakhs for winning a Test series while the women’s team only gets Rs 1 lakh.
This disparity is even more glaring when we compare the salaries of the two captains. MS Dhoni, the captain of the men’s team, earns an annual salary of Rs 7 crore while Mithali Raj, the captain of the women’s team, earns only Rs 50 lakhs. This pay gap is indicative of the discrimination that still exists against women
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