Women’s Cricket In India Stands On Cusp Of Its Watershed Moment: Sachin Tendulkar | Cricket News

The great Sachin Tendulkar anticipates the ODI World Cup, starting in India on Tuesday, to be a significant turning point for women’s cricket in the country.

The sport received a major boost when Indian women reached the final of the 2017 edition in England. However, India is still missing a global trophy, and Tendulkar believes Harmanpreet Kaur and her team can change this by chasing the ultimate goal at home.

“I sense that women’s cricket in India stands on the cusp of its own watershed moment. The upcoming ICC Women’s World Cup will not just be about chasing a trophy; it will be about igniting countless dreams,” Tendulkar wrote in an ICC column.

“Somewhere in Moga, a teenage girl might be clutching her bat tighter, hoping to emulate her idol Harmanpreet Kaur. In Sangli, another girl might be practising her drives, daring to dream like Smriti Mandhana.”

Harmanpreet gained national attention with her breathtaking 171 against Australia in the semifinal of the 2017 edition. That knock remains fresh in Tendulkar’s memory.

“I still remember vividly Harmanpreet’s magnificent 171 against Australia in the 2017 World Cup. It was not just an innings; it was a statement. The sheer audacity of her strokeplay, the clarity of her mind, and the courage in her heart took women’s cricket in India into a new orbit.

“I believe that was the moment when many stopped seeing women’s cricket as a sideshow—it became centre stage.”

He is also hugely impressed by the elegant left-hander Mandhana.

“There is a silken grace to her batting, a natural rhythm in the way she times the ball. Her ability to find gaps with such elegance reminds me of the finest in the game.”

The ICC event at home provides women’s cricket the platform it needs, said the cricketing legend.

“Now, the sport has the opportunity to transcend barriers—of gender, of perception, of accessibility. The little girl with a plastic bat in a small town must feel that the world is open to her, just as I felt after watching a triumphant Team India in 1983.”

He also praised current ICC chairman Jay Shah for supporting women’s cricket in India.

“A lot of credit must go to Jay Shah, who, during his time as BCCI secretary, pushed for equal match fees for men and women and laid the foundation for the Women’s Premier League,” Tendulkar added.

(With PTI Inputs)