Data Point | On the rise: Indian women cricketers are closing the gap with men in T20 cricket

From their debut to the Women’s Premier League, the Indian women’s cricket team has come a long way in their T20 journey, narrowing the gap with men’s cricket

The world of cricket has taken a significant step towards gender equality with the start of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) in Mumbai on March 4, 2023. It’s a game-changer for women’s cricket in India as the 21-match tournament is an excellent opportunity for Indian women cricketers who desperately need exposure. It’s an opportunity for both young debutants and senior players, who have not yet had the chance to prove themselves on the field, to showcase their talents and find a place in the Indian women’s cricket team.

However, their journey wasn’t easy. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) didn’t come up with the WPL in a hurry. It was a result of the consistently improving performance of Indian women in cricket. In 2018, the BCCI conducted the Women’s T20 Challenge, which featured two teams — Trailblazers and Supernovas — led by star Indian players Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur, respectively. The tournament continued in the following years until 2022, with a new team added in 2019.

In October 2022, the BCCI implemented a ‘pay equity policy’ for its contracted women cricketers and raised their match fees to match that of their male counterparts. This is a credible move towards gender equality in cricket and provides financial support to women players who have broken many glass ceilings to find their place in Indian cricket. The WPL tournament, with the exposure and monetary compensation it offers, is a much-needed morale booster for women players. It’s a platform for women to prove their mettle and showcase their talent

.India’s first women’s T20I match was held on August 5, 2006, in Derby, England. The women’s team managed to restrict the English side to a score of 107/8 in 20 overs, and Rumeli Dhar scored a half-century (66 runs). India marked its first victory against England in its debut T20 match, scoring 109/2.

Since then, the Indian women’s cricket team has come a long way. While there was a steady upward trajectory in their performance, it wasn’t until 2014 that the team could score above 150. On March 30, 2014, Harmanpreet Kaur scored a clean 77 off 59 balls, as India triumphed against Bangladesh at 151/5.

Over the years, the number of T20 matches played by the Indian women’s team has consistently increased, and it peaked in the latest season with 23 international T20 matches played, the highest ever. This increase in matches played has reflected in the scoring rate of the team, with the runs per over (RPO) and boundaries scored by the team seeing a significant rise

.India recorded its highest T20I score to date, 198/4 in 20 overs, on March 25, 2018. However, despite Mithali Raj’s half-century (53 runs) and Smriti Mandhana’s 76 runs, India lost the match to England, who scored 199/3 in 18.4 overs, thanks to Danielle Wyatt’s remarkable century (124 runs).