While India has always been a cricket-crazy nation, it has more often than not been the men cricketers that have garnered more attraction and popularity than their female counterparts. However, things are slowly and steadily changing, thanks to some consistent performances of the Indian women’s cricket team in the ICC events in the recent past.
Though it is futile to compare the men and women cricketers in India and to expect that the female cricketers will be as popular as the males, it is a big positive for women’s cricket in India on an individual basis, given the increasing awareness and coverage of the women’s sport over the last few years.
The year 2022 is going to be an action-packed one for Indian women’s cricket given that they have three major tournaments lined up over the next few months. The ICC Women’s World Cup will be played this year in New Zealand from March 4 to April 3 and just prior to that India will play a bilateral series against the White Ferns in New Zealand.
This upcoming World Cup will probably be the swansong of two legends of Indian women’s cricket; Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami. India has been the runners-up in 2005 and 2017. Can they win it in 2022 and present the best tribute to these two legends? If that happens, there is seldom any doubt that women’s cricket in India will be celebrated more than it has ever been for the years to come. In the latter half of 2022, cricket will be played at the Commonwealth Games as the sport makes its way back after a yawning gap of 24 years. India alongside seven other nations will play in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
With so much women’s cricket to look up to in the coming few months, there is a lot of excitement among the fans and followers of the women’s sport. Women’s cricket in India has already started spreading its wings to tier 2 and tier 3 cities, with more and more players from small towns representing the country.
A few days back when India celebrated its 73rd Republic Day, a seven-year-old girl from Pune, a city in the Indian state of Maharashtra, delivered a beautiful speech, wearing the shoes of her role model Mithali Raj. The day is not too far when a budding cricketer, be it a boy or a girl starts idolizing women cricketers. Though that speech from a seven-year-old girl could be a drop in the ocean, it is certainly the beginning of something magnificent to happen in the future.
Watch the video here
This 7 Year old girl from Pune, India was asked to deliver a speech on her role model this Republic Day.
She chose @M_Raj03 😍 pic.twitter.com/NYo7pUJk8q
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) January 30, 2022
I am a former cricketer having represented Mumbai University at All India University level. I was a part of MCA probables for the U-19 and U-23 age group. I have been an avid cricket writer for the last five years. Currently I am pursuing my Ph.D from IIT Bombay.