In India, cricket isn’t just a sport; it is an emotion for all Indians. From narrow streets to massive stadiums, the passion for cricket runs as deep as the love Indians hold for it. Like in all other spheres, when a woman takes charge, it’s almost an unbelievable magic that is created. In cricket, too, whenever an Indian woman has walked onto the cricket pitch, she’s created a legacy in the history of Indian cricket.
The Beginning Of Women’s Indian Cricket
Indian women’s cricket began in 1973 when Mr Mahendra Kumar Sharma, the founder secretary, founded the Women’s Cricket Association of India (WCAI) and registered it under the Societies Act in Lucknow, then under the presidency of Begum Hamida Habibullah.
In 1973, WCAI became a member of the International Women’s Cricket Council. The Indian women’s cricket team played its first-ever international match against the West Indies on 31 October 1976. Further, in 1978, WCAI was officially recognised by the Government of India. That was the beginning of an era, where those women in blue jerseys set out to the game field and never looked back.
Since then, there have been many figures who have written the history of women’s cricket in India. The following are the five women indian cricketers who have built the legacy of Indian women’s cricket.
1.Diana Edulji
Diana Edulji is a former Indian women’s cricket player. Born on January 26, 1956, she was a trailblazer that India produced. She was a right-handed batter and a slow left-arm orthodox bowler. She led India in the 1978 and 1993 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cups.
She also played a crucial role in making the railways a successful team in women’s cricket. Further, she also raised her voice against the harsh conditions that female players often lived in. Some of her records include the most balls bowled in her career, the highest wickets in her career, and the most runs conceded in her career, among many more.
2. Anjum Chopra
Born on May 20, 1977, Anjum Chopra is the first woman in India to have played over 100 ODIs. She was one of the most important figures to have led women’s indian cricket. Anjum was a brilliant left-arm batter with a marvellous right-arm medium bowling style.
She won the Arjuna Award in 2007 for her consistent performance throughout her career. Later, she was also honoured with the Padma Shri in 2014. Apart from her career as a cricketer, she is also known for her presence as a commentator in the sport.
3. Jhulan Goswami
Jhulan Goswami is a figure in women’s Indian cricket known for her fast bowling skills. She was a right-armed batter as well as an exceptional right-armed medium-fast bowler. She remains an inspiration to many young women who aspire to take up cricket as their career.
She led India in 25 One Day International (ODI) matches and was also awarded the Arjuna Award back in 2010. Furthermore, she was awarded the Padma Shri, becoming the second Indian cricketer (female) after Diana Edulji to have received the honour.
Read More: From Sleeping On Floors To World Cup: Inspiring Journey Of Indian Women’s Cricket Team
4. Mithali Raj
Mithali Raj became the leading run-scorer in July 2021, overtaking Charlotte Edwards from England, who scored 10,273 runs, the only female besides Mithali to have crossed 10,000 runs.
She represented India 333 times and served the longest career in Indian women’s cricket (28 years). She led the Indian team through many match formats. Mithali’s inspiring career paved the way for several young girls to dream, too.
5. Neetu David
Neetu David is an excellent left-arm spinner who won millions of hearts during the span of her successful career. She also took the highest wicket in the Women’s World Cup in 2005. Neetu has also mentored several other young players over the years.
Just like that, these women contributed to the legacy of Indian women’s cricket, proving time and again that when a woman steps into the scene, she creates history that the whole world looks up to.
Images: Google Images
Sources: The Indian Express, Business Standard, The Times of India
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This post is tagged under: Indian women’s cricket, Women in Indian cricket, History of women’s cricket in India, Legacy of Indian women cricketers, Indian women cricket legends, Diana Edulji, Anjum Chopra, Jhulan Goswami, Mithali Raj, Neetu David, Rise of women’s cricket in India, Indian women cricketers who made history, Women’s Cricket Association of India, ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup India, Best Indian women cricketers of all time
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