I must have been around eight years old when I first watched Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the erstwhile Captain of the Indian Men’s Cricket Team, ‘finishing off in style’ with a magnificent six and winning us the second World Cup Trophy in 2011. It was a very tender age to register everything but one thing was certain, that match became my first memory of watching cricket as a spectator. It spurred my love for the sport and turned me into a forever fan. Since then, I have developed an irresistible love and passion for cricket and it has given me some of the happiest and saddest days of my life.
Growing up as a girl, professing my interest in cricket had attracted a lot of rolling eyeballs and sarcasm. Regarded as a gentlemen’s game, my profound love for the sport didn’t seem to fit well with the gendered parlance of society. Sports, especially cricket, is always considered to be a male-dominated field. Playing and watching cricket is construed to be a masculine trait. This is evident when you see female cricket fans being subjected to comments like ‘You are a girl and you watch cricket?!’ or ‘Do you even know the basic rules of cricket? Well, I have been a victim of this for years and all I did was constantly justify myself.
However, this is not right. Over the years, I’ve seen many girls shed tears when the Indian Cricket Team lost both the 2015 and 2019 semi-finals of the ODI (One Day International) World Cup. Their hearts were as elated as anyone when India won the historic Gabba Test Match and clinched the Border Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in 2021. This was also seen when India lost to Australia in the finals of the World Cup 2023. Yes, many of us might not have played cricket ever or be well-versed with the ICC (International Cricket Council) rule booklet. But, we are very much aware of the rules one needs to know to be fond of cricket.
There is no doubt that things have changed over time. Major credit for this metamorphosis goes to the rise of the Indian Women’s Cricket Team and how they are bashing myths associated with women pursuing a career in sports. There are several female hosts and commentators like Shibani Dhandekar, Mayanti Langer, and Sanjana Ganesan who are popular faces of discussion panels in cricket. I would also like to compliment influencers like Sameeksha Takke and Nisman Parpia for posting cricket-related content that quashes misconceptions and normalizes girls not being alien to the sport.
However, I agree that such notions or mindsets don’t prevail everywhere. There are places where women who watch or play cricket are wholeheartedly welcomed and their opinions are revered. My father, for instance, never made me feel inferior when we had a conversation about cricket or any other sport. He always respected what I had to say. But, society has a long way to go in this regard.
As a girl who has been following cricket from a young age, I believe it is something to be enjoyed, and savored, not something to be discriminated against based on gender. Hence, against all odds, I will always choose to enjoy cricket!