You write about passionate individuals such as Aloo Bamjee in Bombay and Mahendra Kumar Sharma in Lucknow, who were instrumental in popularising the game across the country. During your research, did you come across other unsung figures or players who deserve greater recognition for their role in building women’s cricket in India?
There were many unsung heroes in the journey of women’s cricket in India. First and foremost were the parents of the players, who defied societal norms to let their daughters pursue cricket and supported them at every stage of their careers. Take the example of JB Shah, father of cricketer Sudha Shah, himself a badminton player, who would accompany the Tamil Nadu women’s team on domestic tours. His presence reassured other parents, who then allowed their daughters to travel and play. Similarly, Fowzieh Khalili’s brother regularly accompanied her on domestic tours, providing the support and security that made her cricketing journey possible. There were countless others whose quiet contributions rarely found mention.
However, if one individual deserves to be recognised as an unsung hero in the context of women’s cricket in India, it is the late Madhavrao Scindia. It was through his efforts in the mid-1980s that the Indian Railways became involved in women’s cricket. This led to women cricketers receiving employment under the Railways’ sports quota, providing them with financial stability and the means to continue playing the game. Former players such as Diana Edulji and Sandhya Agarwal have often said that without Scindia’s intervention women’s cricket in India might not have survived those difficult years. They remain deeply indebted to his commitment in securing facilities, funding, and institutional support for women’s cricket at a time when the sport had very few champions.
You write about the role played by the Parsi woman Aloo Bamjee in the formation of cricket club like Albees. How did the legacy of Parsi cricket help lay the foundations for Indian cricket more broadly, and women’s cricket in particular?
The story of cricket in India cannot be told without acknowledging the pioneering role of the Parsis. It was the Parsi community that first embraced cricket with remarkable enthusiasm in India. As an affluent and forward-looking mercantile community, they recognised the sport as an avenue to engage with the colonial establishment while also asserting their own identity and excellence.
Their contribution to Indian cricket was transformative. In 1848, they founded the Oriental Cricket Club in Bombay (now Mumbai), the first ever cricket club managed entirely by Indians. They also sent the first-ever Indian team to England in 1886. These landmark initiatives not only popularised the game but also laid the foundations upon which Indian cricket would eventually flourish.
Coming to women’s cricket, Parsi women displayed an interest in the game as early as the 1880s, taking part in exhibition matches alongside men at a time when women’s participation in organised sport was almost unimaginable. Their willingness to step onto the cricket field reflected the progressive spirit of the community. Hence, it was not a surprise that it took a Parsi lady, Aloo Bamjee, to form the first women’s cricket club called the Albees in 1969. The club became far more than a place to practice, it became the cradle of women’s cricket in India.
Together with her husband, Bamjee organised coaching sessions at the Cricket Club of India (CCI), personally investing her time and resources to nurture young talent. But what made her truly exceptional was the warmth and generosity with which she looked after the players. She would arrive at the ground in her Morris Mini carrying sandwiches for the girls after practice, making sure they were cared for as much as they were coached. For those who could not afford cricket gear, she arranged bats, gloves, pads and other essential equipment, ensuring that financial hardship did not become a barrier to playing the game.
In an era when women’s cricket received little recognition or institutional support, Aloo Bamjee created an ecosystem of encouragement, opportunity and belonging. The Albees was not merely India’s first women’s cricket club, it was the beginning of a movement.
You write that India’s run to the final of the 2017 ODI World Cup gave women’s cricket a major boost. How did that moment usher in a new era of visibility and ambition?
If reaching the final in the 2005 World Cup was the tipping point for women’s cricket in India, then 2017 gave new wings to the girls. It propelled women’s cricket in India to an entirely new era of recognition and ambition. The defining moment came with Harmanpreet Kaur’s 171 against Australia in the semi-final. It was probably one of the most important knocks played by an Indian woman and it captured the imagination of the nation. It drew comparisons to Kapil Dev’s 175 at the Tunbridge Wells in the 1983 World Cup.
Suddenly, everyone wanted to watch the Indian girls play. Millions who had rarely followed women’s cricket tuned in to watch. Families gathered around television sets, social media buzzed with excitement, and the players became the subject of conversations across the country. India’s Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) reported that the final drew 19.53 million impressions, making it the most-watched women’s sporting event in Indian history, overtaking the Rio Olympics badminton final between PV Sindhu and Carolina Marin. A cash award of ₹50 lakhs was announced for each member of the squad.
All this would go a long way in inspiring a new generation of girls to take up cricket professionally. Young girls across India suddenly had idols whose journeys they could aspire to emulate. It was the tournament that gave women’s cricket in India not just recognition, but momentum that would eventually pave the way for professional contracts and increased media attention.
How have the BCCI’s pay equity policy for contracted players and the launch of the Women’s Premier League strengthened women’s cricket, both in sporting terms and in its economic potential?
The move by the BCCI in 2022 to have the same match fee for both men and women cricketers was an extremely progressive step. It was a powerful message about valuing women’s cricketers as much as their male counterparts. This reform had an immediate effect on the players, boosting their morale and indicating that their efforts and achievements would be now rewarded fairly.
Then the Women’s Premier League provided a professional platform akin to the men’s Indian Premier League (IPL). For the first time, domestic and international female cricketers could compete in a high-profile, franchise-based tournament, gaining exposure, experience, and financial rewards on an unprecedented scale.
Broadcast rights, franchise fees, sponsorship deals, and strong television and digital viewership all played a role in creating this new revenue stream, reinforcing the idea that women’s cricket could command serious economic interest. Equally significant was the response from the public. The launch and early seasons of the WPL generated widespread curiosity and enthusiasm among fans. Stadiums in cities such as Mumbai and Bengaluru witnessed lively crowds, many of whom were attending women’s cricket matches for the first time. Families, young girls, and longtime cricket followers turned up in large numbers, creating an atmosphere that reflected both celebration and discovery. For the wider cricketing community, the financial success of the WPL symbolized a shift in perception.
Taken together, these two initiatives have fundamentally altered the trajectory of women’s cricket in India. Pay equity has given women cricketers dignity, recognition and financial security, while the Women’s Premier League has provided a sustainable pathway for talent to flourish. More than any policy or tournament before them, they have transformed women’s cricket into a professional, aspirational and commercially sustainable sport, ensuring that the next generation of girls can dream not only of playing for India but also of building a successful career through cricket.
In researching the history of women’s cricket in India, what was the most surprising, revealing or overlooked story you discovered?
Perhaps the most surprising and unfortunate discovery was that eight of India’s earliest women’s test matches played against the Australia Under-25 team and New Zealand were retrospectively stripped of their official test status after the International Women’s Cricket Council (IWCC) merged with the International Cricket Council (ICC). At the time these matches were played, the players and everyone else believed that these were official tests.
The reasons cited later were contentious. The Australian board argued that it had fielded an Under-25 side and that the squad had largely comprised players who could afford to finance their own travel. New Zealand, meanwhile, maintained that several of its leading players had not been part of the touring party. Despite these objections arising years later, the Indian players had competed in the belief that they were playing official test cricket. Former players who later became administrators, including Diana Edulji, Shantha Rangaswamy and Shubhangi Kulkarni, fought tirelessly to have these matches reinstated as official tests, but their appeals ultimately came to nothing.
It is a shame that Shantha’s 627 runs and 14 wickets from eight matches is not part of her official test records. Worse still is Diana’s case. Her test records show that she has taken 63 wickets in 20 tests. Had the 39 wickets from those two series been added, she would have reached the landmark of 100 test wickets.
The greatest injustice, however, was suffered by those whose only opportunity to play test cricket came in those now-unrecognised matches. Kalpana Paropkari, for instance, represented India in the series against New Zealand but never played another test. Because those matches were later deemed unofficial, she and several of her teammates were denied the honour of being recognised as test cricketers altogether.
How have cricket clubs and regional networks outside the big metros, in small towns and rural areas, contributed to the growth of women’s cricket in India?
The rise of women’s cricket in India is not just a story of international victories or professional leagues. It is also the story of countless cricket clubs, district coaches, school grounds and community volunteers in India’s small towns and rural regions. They have quietly built the foundation upon which the country’s women’s cricketing success now stands. Without these grassroots networks, the remarkable depth of talent that India enjoys today would simply not have been possible.
Take a look at some of the biggest stars in the game over the last decade or so and they are not from metros or traditional cricketing venues. Jhulan Goswami comes from Chakda in West Bengal, Harmanpreet Kaur hails from Moga in Punjab, Smriti Mandhana is from Sangli in Maharashtra, Deepti Sharma is from Agra, Shafali Verma is from Rohtak, Sneh Rana is from Dehradun, Richa Ghosh is from Siliguri and the list goes on.
The cricket clubs and academies spread across small towns have democratized access to the game, ensuring that talent is no longer confined to big metros.
How have social attitudes toward women’s cricket changed over the decades, and how did class, region, and community shape who found more opportunities to play and excel, and who was left behind despite clear talent?
In the 1970s, when MK Sharma (WCAI’s founder Secretary) went around the lanes of Lucknow on a rickshaw announcing on a loudspeaker, “Kanyaon ki cricket hogi, zaroor aaiye. (There will be cricket for girls, do come.)”, many spectators came to the ground just to see which attire would the women wear while playing cricket. Were the girls playing cricket in bell-bottomed trousers or skirts?
Then, there was a time when a senior BCCI official told Diana Edulji that if he had his way, he wouldn’t let women’s cricket happen. This wasn’t the case only in India. At Lord’s, female spectators were not allowed into the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) or the pavilion until 1999. Now, Lord’s is hosting its first ever women’s test (between India and England).
The game has come a long way. The evolution of women’s cricket in India therefore mirrors broader social change. It reflects a journey from exclusion to acceptance, from tokenism to professionalism, and from privilege to increasing inclusivity.
What more can be done for the growth of women’s cricket?
The progress of women’s cricket over the past two decades has been remarkable, but true success will come when the conversation no longer centres on comparisons with the men’s game. The objective should not be to replicate men’s cricket, but to build a strong, self-sustaining ecosystem in which women’s cricket thrives on its own merit.
With a robust domestic structure, continued institutional investment and sustained public engagement, there is every reason to believe that women’s cricket in India can become one of the country’s most celebrated sporting success stories. We have all the ingredients of a bright future for women’s cricket in India.
Majid Maqbool is an independent journalist.
