India heaved a sigh of relief that the Indian cricket team currently touring Australia managed to save face by winning the last of the 5 ODI matches and went on to win the first T20 match as well. When we say ‘Indian cricket team’ we of course mean the men’s cricket team. The often sterling achievements of the Indian women’s cricket team are most typically overlooked and under reported.
All of India knows and worships Mahendra Singh Dhoni, but how many of us know the name Mithali Raj? Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja may be household names, but how many among us know about Harmanpreet Kaur, Veda Krishnamurthy and Jhulan Goswami? Audiences are glued to their TV screens when the men play whereas telecasters don’t even bother to relay women’s matches.
Opening Batswomen
The Indian Women’s Cricket Team recently stunned the Aussies
While the Aussie men were busy humiliating the Indian men on the cricket field by meting out 4 ODI defeats in a row, the Indian women pulled off a record win over the Australian women who were favourites to win. It was the highest ever successful run chase in T20 internationals; a record win. The Indian women easily overcame the tough challenge posed by scoring the requisite 140 runs; losing just 5 wickets with 8 balls to spare. Two more T20 matches and three ODI matches are to follow.
High Five Ladies
Why do we know so little about our women’s cricket team?
Did you know, the Indian women’s cricket team had reached the finals in the 2005 World Cup and reached the semis on three other occasions? Twice the women have also reached the semi finals of the T20 world cup. This is in spite of the fact that women’s cricket in India doesn’t receive even a fraction of the attention or the sponsorship that male cricketers take for granted. The women have to overcome far greater odds to achieve what they do; and in spite of this get short shrift form the audiences as well as sporting and government agencies.
Achievements Overlooked because they are Women?
As for the disparity between the amounts that the men and the women earn; there is quite simply no comparison. Their yearly contracts with BCCI, IPL earnings and various endorsements contracts mean that the men, especially the top players are quite stupendously rich. By contrast the women have only now managed to get central contracts from the BCCI.
What is it that results in this step-child like treatment for Indian women’s cricket – not just from the BCCI, but the audiences… you and me included?
Author: Reena Daruwalla
