Women’s cricket in India is finally–albeit slowly–getting its due

Four cricketers let us in how they’ve witnessed, first-hand, the growth of women’s cricket, filling in the missing gaps, and their belief in a very bright future for the game

Allow us to paint you a picture: It’s 2013. The Indian women’s cricket team makes its way to the stadium for a match. No one clings onto the barricades to get a glimpse of Mithali Raj or Jhulan Gowswami. The press is caught unaware about such a tournament and broadcasting the live game is a far-fetched dream. Cut to 2022. The faint sounds of AR Rahman’s Maa Tujhe Salaam are heard as you walk towards Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. You gasp with disbelief as you enter the stadium, reverberating with the goosebump-inducing chants of “India, India,” for the women in blue and you’re left feeling proud of the game that’s hardly only for gentlemen anymore. 

The last decade has seen an almost-revolutionary transformation of women’s cricket in India. We’ve witnessed the women in blue take on the field, champion tournaments, change mindsets, receive recognition from the media and fans alike, and get rewarded for their efforts that are no less than those put in by their male counterparts. So has women’s cricket arrived? Has it led to real-time impact at the grassroot level? Is it finally at par with the almost religious notion of men’s cricket in India?

The Established spoke to cricketers Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Anju Jain, Deepti Sharma, and Veda Krishnamurthy who share first-hand accounts of the impact they’ve witnessed, how financially empowered they’ve felt, and their hope for the future of the game they wholeheartedly love.

From being the only girls in training to competing with a few thousand 

Think women’s cricket in India a decade and a half ago: training academies were few and far between and almost none for young girls. Negligence to infrastructure was more than apparent. Yet, the handful of girls who pursued it did so against all odds. Over the years, however, the tide appears to have changed. According to research undertaken by the BBC, as of March 2020, 75 per cent of the Indian population believes that sport is significant in their day-to-day lives. Of this, 15 per cent of women play cricket compared to 25 per cent of men. As unequal as this number is, it is significantly higher than ever before. Furthermore, the setting up of cricket academies and training camps for girls through the efforts of the  Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and its affiliate associations have prompted a large number of young girls to take up cricket. 

“I chose cricket because I had no idea that girls could play it. I wanted to understand how the game worked. I didn’t even realise when it became my profession,” says left-arm bowler Rajeshwari Gayakwad. “When I started playing in school, there were a lot of other girls with me, playing. Fortunately, the first ever Ladies Club for cricket was formed in Bijapur in 2007. It was the first cricket academy in my town. When I decided to pursue it as a career, I had to move from Bijapur to Bengaluru for my training,” she adds. Very few girls were playing cricket professionally then. In 2017, when the team reached the finals during the World Cup, the interest grew exponentially. “No one knew of us until then. After that final, I came to India and saw the Karnataka state trials—there were more than 250 girls [playing]. So, I’ve seen parents change their mindset and today they push their daughters to play sports.” 

Meanwhile, cricketer Veda Krishnamurthy—the youngest among four siblings—had the leverage to do whatever she wanted. “My father wanted me to become an IPS officer. So very early on, I was put into karate classes. The idea was to pursue a sport—either karate or taekwondo and probably represent the country. Cricket was never planned, because nobody knew about women's cricket. I only learned that we had a women’s team representing the country during the World Cup in 2005.” Krishnamurthy hails from Kaduru, a small town in Karnataka. She was the only girl playing gully cricket with the boys. “There were no other opportunities for girls to play cricket there. In 2005, when I moved to Bengaluru, we were about 15 to 20 girls across age groups. There was no other academy in the city for women. Now, there are several academies not only in Bengaluru but across the state,” she says.  

Former Indian cricketer and coach Anju Jain, whose father played cricket at the Ranji Trophy level, grew up playing the game at home. “At the time we were not even aware that girls played cricket, but my cousin saw me play once, and told my dad to take me to the stadium to train properly. When I joined, I was the only girl to practise amongst all the boys. There were very few academies at the time and if you're in Delhi, distances are a huge factor to take into consideration,” says Jain. She recollects getting up at four o’clock in the morning to do her homework, go to school, come back, and go for training. “Public transport was limited then, so I used to walk to the bus stop and take the bus. My dad used to pick me up halfway and would drop me to the academy. By the time I got home, I was so tired.” The under-15 selections were held a few months after she had joined. “I got selected and it was an amazing experience to be surrounded by senior players who were so competitive about the game,” narrates Jain.  

For cricketer Deepti Sharma, playing cricket began almost out of happenstance. “I was nine years old at the time. I was sitting on a bench at the stadium and the ball came towards me. When I threw it back, it hit the stumps directly—that’s where it began. There were a few girls [playing] at that time. My coach thought I was a boy because of that throw, but then they found out I was a girl and I started training,” she recalls. While Sharma did not have to face too many constraints, facilities and infrastructure for girls were still nascent. “I had only one pair of T-shirt and pants to wear while training as they weren’t available in our size. Eventually, I started wearing oversized clothes,” she says. 

The advent of the WPL 

Following the immense success of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the advent of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) last year was wholeheartedly welcomed by cricket loyalists, fans, and players, and is considered critical to building the women’s cricket economy in the country. In fact, in its inaugural season, the WPL delivered the highest viewership for any women’s event globally. The first game alone saw 10 million viewers tuning in, apart from the tens of thousands who showed up at the stadium. Most significantly, however, it has enabled greater levels of competition, mentorship, and confidence for the players, creating a platform for younger girls to prove their skills. 

According to Gayakwad, who plays for the UP Warriorz team, “Women’s cricket has grown so much. I’ve been playing for India for so many years now but no one knew the kind of person I was. I was very reserved and shy. With WPL, since day one, I’ve built such a nice bond with everyone. Whatever I am today, it’s because of cricket. It has helped me gain confidence, becoming stronger through the obstacles that I faced.”

“A mainstream tournament like the WPL gives you more purpose,” says Krishnamurthy, who is playing for the Gujarat Giants franchise this season. “There’s only a maximum of 25 people who represent India, through the years. With WPL, thrice as many people get the opportunity. It gives a platform to those working towards playing for India or wanting to make a comeback. And your effort will be rewarded—whether it’s with an India cap or just being a part of the franchise.” 

Jain, who is now the assistant coach for the UP Warriorz team, feels women’s cricket is an independent entity by itself, and need not be compared with men’s cricket. “The idea for WPL was being talked about five years ago and it’s finally happening. Earlier, people were not convinced whether we would have enough domestic players to form a team, or whether the quality would be good, or whether we would get sponsorships, or if it would be broadcast. But you’ve seen the response,” she explains. 

Empowerment through shifting mindsets  

The popularity and growth of women’s cricket in India has also been in tandem with changing mindsets. At an individual level, cricket has enabled nearly every player to feel empowered, strong, and independent. At a broader level, it has prompted conversations to change gendered narratives and stereotypes, advocating principles of equality, inclusivity, and diversity. 

“I was fortunate to have parents who never said no to me,” shares Gayakwad. “They have always supported us in whatever we wanted to pursue. Of course, outside of the home, I’ve faced a lot of taunts and judgments—not only from the community but also from my relatives. They would often ask my father why he was allowing the girls of the house to play cricket but he didn’t pay heed. People would even comment on the clothes we wore while training. When I started playing cricket, people said a lot of things behind my back. Now that I play for India, they call me their daughter.”

Krishnamurthy’s parents did not impose any restrictions while she was growing up. “I think I was extremely fortunate because my mother never told me not to go out or not to wear shorts or be on the streets playing games with the boys. In general, cricket has been very empowering. Your confidence levels change, your problem-solving skills improve, you’re not shy—you start thinking about the best solution at that moment and navigating your way through many situations and circumstances,” she says. 

Meanwhile Jain feels that playing cricket has enabled her to gain confidence. “As an introvert, when I was younger, communicating or having a good conversation was very difficult for me. But cricket helped me a lot. I've worked hard on giving interviews and talking to people.” Moreover, she did not let the general mindset of society affect her. “People are very happy initially when you're playing but once you are of marriageable age, the comments begin, expectations change. Cricket as a sport—irrespective of gender—makes you more disciplined, confident and independent, which is very important for girls,” says Jain. 

“I think sports has made me feel empowered—both on and off the field. Whatever I am today, is because of cricket. I’ve been fortunate to see my family be so supportive and proud of the fact that I am representing the country,” says Sharma, “What we saw after the 2017 World Cup, was a spike in the interest of girls to play cricket. It did away with the notion that girls can’t play cricket.” 

Improving financial viability at the domestic level 

The impact that women’s cricket has had, has been unreal—it’s more than evident. But there’s a long way to go. In India, the BCCI organises over nine domestic competitions within the men’s cricket sphere, as opposed to two for women. Internationally, the number is only slowly rising. Inevitably, given the popularity of men’s games, it has also attracted a tremendous number of sponsors over the years, thereby ensuring the financial security of the players. In a piece for Scroll, Zenia D’Cunha writes, “The Board of Control for Cricket in India is the richest cricket body in the world and has accordingly empowered its associations. Therefore, money is not always the issue when it comes to investing in the women’s game. It is a question of inclination and interest from stakeholders such as the state associations that counts to build a professional and accessible system for women’s cricket in India.” 

Krishnamurthy believes that we will make progress in time. “I’ve always said that you cannot compare men’s and women’s cricket. But we can improve, every year. Of course, the Ranji Trophy as a format for women's cricket doesn’t exist. But we do have 50 overs and T-20 games. After the WPL this year, we have a multi-day inter-zonal tournament—very similar to the Ranji. I don’t mind the process of growth being slow and seeing the results in five years rather than pushing everything in one year,” she says. 

Speaking about opportunities for girls playing cricket at the grassroots level, Jain elaborates, “Not many job opportunities are available to the girls. Only the railways are currently recruiting them. Yes, you are getting match fees but that’s only when you play at a certain level. At the domestic level, we are still not at par with the men, but various BCCI associations are working towards providing better facilities, and a few have started giving pensions in smaller amounts too” . When it comes to trials, about 20 girls get selected out of the 200-plus who apply. . So, what about the rest of the girls? “Something needs to be done at the grassroot level, where these girls should get more security, can take up cricket without financial worries, or look out for alternatives. But it’s only getting better from here,” adds Jain. 

Sharma, who was recently honoured with the post of Deputy Superintendent of Police in Uttar Pradesh says, “For me, DSP has always been a dream. But getting a job has been great because of the perks. Getting a government job has also made me and my family feel financially secure. But this job too, was because of cricket—because we won a gold medal at the Asian Games. I think after a certain level, cricket is financially viable.” 

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