- Date : 12/05/2023
- Read: 3 mins
The latest developments show that the future is bright for Indian women's cricket
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Indian women's cricket started with a lot of promise in the 1970s
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By the end of the century, Indian women's cricket got its share of legends.
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The game has received renewed public interest and commercial success in recent years.
It is hard for women to break into a sport traditionally called 'the gentlemen's game.' Despite its existence as a competitive sport for over a century and a half, the emergence of cricket as a commercial entity is relatively recent. The emergence of women's cricket is even newer, considering it has only been around for 50 years.
Also Read: Love cricket? Discover the best career options for girls in the sport.
History of Women's Cricket
Women's cricket officially began when the Indian team faced their British counterparts in a match in 1973. Since then, the growth and evolution of women's cricket have been steady before picking up speed in recent years.
The Women's Cricket Association of India was established in the same year, with Begum Hamida Habibullah as the president. The body continued till 2006 when it merged with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The railways and Air India employed women cricketers in those early days, giving the game early a touch of professionalism.
Ladies' cricket in India debuted in one-day matches in the 1978 World Cup under the captainship of Diana Edulji. Edulji, Shanta Rangaswamy, Sudha Shah, and Sandhya Agarwal later won Arjuna awards for their achievements in the field. Rangaswamy was India's first centurion in the ODI format, scoring a ton in 1986.
By the 90s and 00s, female cricketers like Neetu David, Anjum Chopra, and Jhulan Goswami dominated the back pages. A retrospective of Indian women's cricket would be incomplete without mentioning the Arjuna, Padma Shri, Dhyanchand Khel Ratna, and Wisden Best Player winner, Mithali Raj.
Also Read Indian women cricketers: How much are paid compared to men.
On Solid Ground
The Indian women's cricket team's performance in the 2017 World Cup was a turning point in ladies' cricket in India. While losing the final, the Women in Blue won a million hearts and has since continued to gain popularity.
The Women's Premier League has increased public interest in the game even further, as top talents from the country and overseas flew in to make it a sporting spectacle. With nearly Rs. 60 crores spent on player auctions, women's cricket is now also seen as a viable career option. Moreover, with attendance in the matches reaching 30,000 on many occasions, and a final sellout match, women's cricket in India is also proving to be a crowd-puller.
Also, Read No obstacle big enough for These 5 Indian female athletes.
One can hope that Indian women's cricket will continue to be a commercial and sporting success in the days to come and inspire more girls to take up the sport professionally.
-
Indian women's cricket started with a lot of promise in the 1970s
-
By the end of the century, Indian women's cricket got its share of legends.
-
The game has received renewed public interest and commercial success in recent years.
It is hard for women to break into a sport traditionally called 'the gentlemen's game.' Despite its existence as a competitive sport for over a century and a half, the emergence of cricket as a commercial entity is relatively recent. The emergence of women's cricket is even newer, considering it has only been around for 50 years.
Also Read: Love cricket? Discover the best career options for girls in the sport.
History of Women's Cricket
Women's cricket officially began when the Indian team faced their British counterparts in a match in 1973. Since then, the growth and evolution of women's cricket have been steady before picking up speed in recent years.
The Women's Cricket Association of India was established in the same year, with Begum Hamida Habibullah as the president. The body continued till 2006 when it merged with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The railways and Air India employed women cricketers in those early days, giving the game early a touch of professionalism.
Ladies' cricket in India debuted in one-day matches in the 1978 World Cup under the captainship of Diana Edulji. Edulji, Shanta Rangaswamy, Sudha Shah, and Sandhya Agarwal later won Arjuna awards for their achievements in the field. Rangaswamy was India's first centurion in the ODI format, scoring a ton in 1986.
By the 90s and 00s, female cricketers like Neetu David, Anjum Chopra, and Jhulan Goswami dominated the back pages. A retrospective of Indian women's cricket would be incomplete without mentioning the Arjuna, Padma Shri, Dhyanchand Khel Ratna, and Wisden Best Player winner, Mithali Raj.
Also Read Indian women cricketers: How much are paid compared to men.
On Solid Ground
The Indian women's cricket team's performance in the 2017 World Cup was a turning point in ladies' cricket in India. While losing the final, the Women in Blue won a million hearts and has since continued to gain popularity.
The Women's Premier League has increased public interest in the game even further, as top talents from the country and overseas flew in to make it a sporting spectacle. With nearly Rs. 60 crores spent on player auctions, women's cricket is now also seen as a viable career option. Moreover, with attendance in the matches reaching 30,000 on many occasions, and a final sellout match, women's cricket in India is also proving to be a crowd-puller.
Also, Read No obstacle big enough for These 5 Indian female athletes.
One can hope that Indian women's cricket will continue to be a commercial and sporting success in the days to come and inspire more girls to take up the sport professionally.
