India Women’s national cricket team’s recent success has taken the cricket world by storm. The success is also noticeable in the visibilisation effort that is evident from the Women’s Premier League (WPL) which celebrated its first edition in 2023. Two years ago, the release of a biopic of Indian iconic woman cricketer Mithila Raj, who captained the women’s cricket team from 2004 to 2022, was another effort at highlighting the achievements of woman players in a battlefield which has traditionally been upheld as a male bastion.
Shabaash Mithu (2022), directed by filmmaker Srijit Mukherji, had Tapsee Pannu as the lead actor who played Mithila Raj in the film. The film depicts not only her personal struggle but also showcases the struggle that the women’s players team had to endure in a male-dominated field.
#TeamIndia 🇮🇳#T20WorldCup Bound ✈️ pic.twitter.com/kB4AH6PcIK
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) September 24, 2024Recent Successes
Indian Women’s Cricket Team reached the final of ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023, earning praise from all quarters. Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur impressed the audience with their stellar performances and ensured the team’s success on the global stage. Earlier in 2022, India Women’s players team made it to the semifinals of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022.
Mithali Raj, the then-captain, was credited for this spectacular success with her able leadership and experience.
While women players are dominating the global stage in cricket matches, their success in domestic T20 leagues is captivating citizens alike. More and more people are now interested in watching women play the game and enjoy their craft, moving past the restricting boundary of gender. Women’s Premier League (WPL), in this context, has played a significant role in popularizing women’s cricket among audiences.
With success comes fame and glory, as evident from India’s premier business companies’ willingness to sponsor Women’s cricket in the Women’s Premier League (WPL). While Reliance Jio sponsors Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals receives sponsorship from JSW Group. Diageo, Adani Group, Capri Global, Bajaj Finserv sponsor teams like Royal Challengers Bangalore, Gujarat Giants, UP Warriors, and Kolkata Knight Riders respectively.
Indian Women’s cricket team has also played a few Test matches in recent years, where players like Smriti Mandhana and Punam Raut have shown immense potential. With encouragement and proper infrastructure, these women show that they are capable of delivering better quality games and earning limitless success for the cricket-loving nation.
Discrimination faced by the Indian Women’s Cricket team
Women’s Premier League (WPL), the professional T20 cricket league for women, took 15 years to materialize after the initial launch of the Indian Premier League (IPL) for men in 2008. As if this discrimination is not glaring, there is other evidence to prove the difference in attitude that the players of the Indian national women’s cricket team face compared to their male counterparts. In terms of financial compensation, women players have received much less compared to male players. Moreover, tournament frequency highlights an obvious discriminatory pattern. Women’s cricket team has to face more than often scheduling conflicts with men’s events despite having a lesser number of international and domestic tournaments.
In addition to that, media coverage underlies a similar pattern. While most of the limelight is stored for men’s cricket, which includes television broadcasts, newspaper coverage, and online platforms, Women’s cricket seems to struggle for meagre media attention. Brand endorsements, which contribute significantly to the players’ income, offer limited opportunities to women players. Brands target popular celebrity players for their promotion, and here again, the male players seem to steal all the limelight.
Again, compared to the facilities and infrastructure provided to the male players, the one provided to the women’s cricket players is limited. This affects their morale and impacts their skills to a certain extent. Besides, men’s cricket players are often celebrated as national heroes and receive widespread recognition for their performance in international events. Compared to them, women players’ achievements are belittled and not treated with the same respect and recognition. Often, they encounter societal stereotypes and biases despite performing well.
Positive Changes Ushering in
Recently, the England Cricket Board (ECB) announced pay parity in cricket across professional domestic cricket, which is in line with New Zealand, which pioneered the initiative in 2022. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in October 2022 announced equal pay for men and women cricketers for all three formats. With such initiatives and better visibility, they are now receiving better brand endorsement opportunities.
Moreover, the recent streak of success has garnered the attention of the Government, which is now making sincere efforts to do away with discriminatory practices. Improvements are notable in terms of infrastructure and facilities offered to the women players. The coverage of the success also speaks volumes about the media’s changing approach towards women’s cricket team. Thus, as we all know, while success has many friends, failure has none. However, the Indian women’s cricket team is smart enough to find friends in their determination and persistence and their spirit to never give up at a trying time when they had none.
FAQ
1. What are some of the recent successes of the Indian Women’s Cricket Team?
The Indian Women’s Cricket Team has achieved significant success in recent years. They reached the final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 and the semifinals of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022. Additionally, their performance in domestic T20 leagues like the Women’s Premier League (WPL) has been impressive.
2. What are the key factors contributing to the success of the Indian Women’s Cricket Team?
Several factors have contributed to the success of the Indian Women’s Cricket Team. Improved performance in international tournaments and success in domestic T20 leagues, along with Women Premiere League (WPL) have all played a significant role.
3. What are the major challenges faced by the Indian Women’s Cricket Team?
Despite their successes, the Indian Women’s Cricket Team continues to face challenges. Financial disparities compared to men’s teams, limited tournament opportunities and scheduling conflicts, inadequate media coverage and brand endorsements, infrastructure and facilities disparities, and societal stereotypes and biases are some of the major hurdles they encounter.
4. How has the Women’s Premier League (WPL) contributed to the growth of women’s cricket in India?
The Women’s Premier League (WPL) has played a crucial role in the growth of women’s cricket in India. It has increased visibility and popularity, attracted sponsorship from major brands, provided opportunities for talented women cricketers, and helped break down gender stereotypes.
5. What are some of the initiatives taken by the Indian government to promote women’s cricket?
The Indian government has taken several initiatives to promote women’s cricket. These include equal pay for men and women cricketers, improved infrastructure and facilities, increased media coverage, government-sponsored tournaments and leagues.
6. How have Indian women cricketers benefited from brand endorsements and sponsorship deals?
Brand endorsements and sponsorship deals have provided Indian women cricketers with increased income and financial security. They have also enhanced their brand recognition and visibility, allowing them to inspire young girls and women.
