The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has finally given the green signal to rename a number of stands at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium after some of the cricket legends from the state of Karnataka. However, from a list of names proposed for the stands, the absence of the legendary former Indian women’s team skipper Shantha Rangaswamy has stirred a serious topic of debate, revolving around the recognition of women’s cricket’s contribution to the sport.
Reacting to this the former Indian women cricketers have expressed their sheer disappointment and are furious with the KSCA for the ignorance of the former Indian legend. As per the Times of India report, a total number of 10 stands are to be renamed in the iconic stadium in Bengaluru. The list of 10 stalwarts of Indian cricket originating from the state includes the likes of Erapalli Prasanna, GR Vishwanath, BS Chandrasekhar, Syed Kirmani, Brijesh Patel, Roger Binny, Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, Javagal Srinath, and Venkatesh Prasad.
“If not Shantha, who? Irrespective of gender, she has a prime place in the annals of Karnataka cricket. Her contribution to the sport is unparalleled. It is unfortunate that the Karnataka State Cricket Association has chosen to overlook Shantha,” said the former Indian wicket-keeper batter Kalpana Venkatachar expressing her disappointment with the KSCA for ignoring the former Indian legend.
Shantha Rangaswamy made her international debut on 31st October 1976 in a Test match against the West Indies. She scored 750 runs at a decent average of 32.60 in 26 innings with the bat for her side. Her tally of runs included six half-centuries and a century. Her best performance with the bat for her side came on 8th January 1977 against New Zealand when she scored 108 runs. Apart from her contributions with the bat, she also picked up 21 wickets at an average of 31.61 and an economy of 2.56 in 25 innings with the ball for her side. Her tally of wickets includes one four-wicket haul against England on 26th June 1986 when she returned with match figures (29.3-11-42-4).
She made her ODI debut on 10th January 1982 against Australia. She scored 287 runs in 19 innings with the bat for her side including one half-century against England. Apart from her reliability with the bat, she also picked up 12 wickets with the ball for her side.
She became the first woman to lead the India cricket team, the first woman to win a Test series, and the first woman to receive the lifetime achievement award from the BCCI. She holds the record for the 2nd most consecutive Test matches as captain (12 from 31st October 1976 to 10th February 1984) alongside Rachael Heyhoe Flint (12).
She is also the Arjuna Award winner in 1976. She also smashed India’s first century in the red-ball format and also cracked the first six for the country. She has also done her stint as a commentator with the All India Radio.
(Quotes sourced from The Times of India)
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