Cricket is practically a religion in India. Every Indian home now has a permanent spot for the iconic British sport. The whole family watches every game with unmatched fervor. Originally the “Gentlemen’s Game,” it has begun to include several sportswomen who aspire to represent their nation with distinction in the sport.
However, the growing gender gap and outdated assumptions prevented female cricket fans from showcasing their abilities on the field. Their aspirations finally came true after numerous years of waiting. Although India’s cricket ICC women’s board advanced to the International World Cup championship final at Lord’s in 2017 and succumbed to England there before a packed house, cricket ICC women’s in India has become a major topic of discussion.
The Women’s T20 Competition was introduced by the BCCI in 2018, but it only included one game. It was increased to 3 tournaments during the subsequent three seasons. At the time, the BCCI’s hesitation to start a female IPL received criticism from voices throughout women’s sports, both in Asia and internationally.
Journey Of Women’s Cricket Match
Women’s cricket was for a very long time treated as an accessory to its male colleagues. Although women’s cricket hosted the inaugural World Cup, it was the men’s sport that gained popularity. Men’s cricket matches have historically taken place at the pedestrian. Because we use the word “cricket,” it’s nearly a given that we’re referring to men’s sports instead of women’s.
But much has changed in the recent years. Interest in women’s cricket has significantly increased since 2010 in this regard. Despite how harsh that may sound, India is a cricket-mad population, and a decade earlier, the national team for women wasn’t particularly strong. Furthermore, the women’s squad was established in the early 2000s.
They made their first World Cup final appearance in 2005, however, they fell short of Australia. They repeated the act twelve decades previously, although it is obvious that a large number of individuals were aware of the 2017 ad. The 2017 Women’s World Cup had a lot of changes. Crowds flocked to England, where the competition was played, to observe the games.
The majority of the games were live televised in India. All India games were telecast separately in Hindi, and the fact that the team advanced to the final by defeating Australia in the semifinals had a significant influence on how the nation viewed the competition.
Cricket For Domestic Women Begins
Women began playing cricket sooner than Indians did all over the world. England and Australia participated in their first Women’s Test series in 1934. Unfortunately, it didn’t exist until the 1970s in India. When Mahendra Kumar Sharma established the Women’s Cricket Organization under the Societies Act in 1973, he set the groundwork for the organization.
As a result of the announcement, numerous ladies began to play the games with increased passion. Three teams—from Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra—participated in the state’s first Female Inter-State Immigrants, which took place in Pune that same year. During the year the championship’s second edition took place in Varanasi, the number rose to eight.
Approximately 14 teams had signed up around the time the updated version started. All the countries ultimately agreed to participate. Additionally, women’s teams for these competitions were established by Railways as well as Air India.
Acquired Recognition On A Global Scale
The women’s squad faced Australia in its inaugural world cup in 1975. It took place in Pune, Delhi, and Kolkata, accordingly, for the 3 tests. Ujwala Nikam, Sudha Shah, and Shreeroopa Bose were the three separate leaders for each of their respective teams. India won its first Cricket match against the Windies in Patna, India, a year afterward.
There were perhaps 25,000 people in attendance to see justice being done. The women’s debut ODI official match was against New Zealand in 1995. They won praise for their outstanding performance from everyone.
The team made its first trip to Britain a decade later, in 1999. There, they managed to win the Finals and ended up drawing the test match. In addition to their concerted work, players including Shanta Rangaswamy, Diana Edulji, Sandhya Agarwal, and countless others made numerous personal donations that continue to inspire the youth of today’s female cricketers.
In contrast to Agarwal, who scored an incredible 190 runs in a Tour match in 1986, Rangaswamy was the initial Indian woman to score a hundred in test matches. They made India pleased with their accomplishments, and as a result, these women were given the renowned Arjuna Award.
The ICC Will Next Offer Streaming Rights For The Indian Market And For The Men’s And Women’s Competitions Independently
Following a significant change in strategy, the ICC has released its image rights for the upcoming eight-year period. The ICC would then begin selling rights to men’s and women’s teams separately starting next week in India, reflecting the shifting cultural landscape. It will also sell streaming rights independently. The ICC’s choice to travel to India initially reflects its aim to maximize the business transaction.
The ICC has leased access both to men’s and women’s championships simultaneously in the past on a worldwide level. No longer; moving ahead, the ICC plans to sell licenses for other regions in anticipation of increased bidding competitiveness, raising the deal’s valuation. Before announcing its strategy for the world championships, the ICC waited for the BCCI to finish its broadcaster’s e-auction for the IPL, which netted deals worth more than US$6 billion.
It is known that the ICC sought advice from the BCCI while deciding on its plan and studying the model utilized for the IPL franchise auction. Contrary to the BCCI’s e-auction concept, the ICC will maintain using the enclosed procedure to encourage bidders to present their best offer for the tournaments and packages they desire.
Wrapping Off
After India made it to the International World Cup final at Lord’s in 2017 and lost to England ahead of a packed house, cricket ICC women’s in India has become a hot topic. The BCCI introduced the Women’s T20 Competition in 2018, but it only included one game. It grew to be a three-team tournament over the following three years.
At the moment, the BCCI’s hesitation to start a women’s IPL was criticized by voices from all facets of women’s cricket in India and around the world. The league and a few state organizations had initial qualms about the small player pool for women’s cricket, but even those concerns have since subsided.
