At The Huddle, players from three generations to take the field for women’s cricket in India

Discover the inspiring journey of women's cricket in India, from struggles to success, at The Hindu Huddle session in Bengaluru.

Over the years, women’s cricket has become extremely popular in India. With pay parity, and the introduction of the Women’s Premier League, the game has been one of the major highlights of the women sports’ growth story in the country.

In the 1970s, when a bunch of young women took up cricket, it was far from easy for them to pursue their passion. But with determination and an indomitable spirit, they never gave up. In 1973, when the Women’s Cricket Association of India (WCAI) was formed in Lucknow, it was a walk into the unknown for the cricketers and the administration. The Women in Blue played their first ODI during the 1978 World Cup — the same year that the WCAI got recognised by the International Women’s Cricket Council (IWCC).

However, despite enjoying success in bilateral cricket, it took India more than three decades to hog the limelight in the international arena. That happened when the women’s team reached the final of the Cricket World Cup held in South Africa in 2005. Thereafter, with the BCCI bringing women’s cricket into its fold, the game received a massive shot in the arm. With the Board taking care of the players and providing facilities, India reached the final of the 2017 World Cup. Even though it finished runner-up, this was a game-changing moment and helped the game receive yet another boost in terms of popularity.

At The Hindu Huddle session titled “No Boundaries: Growth of women’s cricket in India”, Shanta Rangaswamy, India’s first women’s team captain and a former BCCI apex council member; Mithali Raj, former India captain; and Shreyanka Patil, India international and Royal Challengers Bengaluru cricketer, will talk us through the journey of women’s cricket in the country.

In the session moderated by K.C. Vijaya Kumar, Sports Editor of the The Hindu, the panelists, who belong to three different generations, will share their thoughts on how the game has grown and the road ahead.

The Huddle will be held in Bengaluru on May 9 and 10.

If you have any questions that you would like our moderator to ask the panelists, write to us at huddle@thehindu.co.in