Tomorrow as the Women in Blue walk out to play their first-ever World T20 final in front of a jam-packed Melbourne Cricket Ground, the nation will come to a standstill to witness its daughters create history. India’s invincible run in the competition has already grabbed eyeballs and the women cricketers have become household names.
Child prodigy Shafali Verma’s blitzkrieg, spin wizard Poonam Yadav’s golden arm and experienced Harmanpreet Kaur’s excellent leadership are some of the many factors that have helped India to reach the World Cup finals.
Setting a final date with four-time World T20 champions Australia itself is a big achievement. Tomorrow is the day that will unequivocally redefine women’s cricket in India as it will not only throw up a pantheon of stars but also encourage more and more girls to take up cricket as a profession. The time will change and the star cricketers will no longer be labeled in reference to their male counterparts. Probably Mithali Raj will be called Mithali Raj and not Lady Sachin and Shafali Verma will be addressed as Shafali Verma and not Lady Sehwag.
Irrespective of whether the Women in Blue win the World Cup, one thing that they have already won before the finals are more than a billion hearts. So, are you ready to watch tomorrow’s final with the same intensity as you did on April 2, 2011? If, yes, then the Women in Blue have surely become successful in stamping their authority on India’s cricketing chronicle.
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.