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Dramatic rise in interest towards women’s cricket in Tamil Nadu post India’s World Cup win
Dramatic rise in interest towards women’s cricket in Tamil Nadu post India’s World Cup win Premium
On November 2, when Harmanpreet Kaur's team of 11 hopefuls scripted team India's cinematic victory in the Women's World Cup final against the formidable team from South Africa, something fundamentally changed in this country forever.
You perhaps discount the previous statement as hyperbole, yet the numbers cease to lie. An estimated 40,000 pairs of eyes were present at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. JioHotstar's viewership on the day of the final was a staggering 185 million. Sharadha Sridharan, a BCCI-accredited Chennai-based cricket coach, says that through the breadth of the tournament, several fans including men who coach, asked her who would make for the best 11 players on the day of the final. “An interest like this has never been shown before,” she said.
Prithi Ashwin, who spearheads Gen-Next Cricket Institute in Chennai, says she has been inundated with calls through the duration of the world cup. “At least six to seven calls since the win this morning,” she wrote when asked what the response has been like.
Girls practising cricket at AM Jain college ground in Chennai. | Photo Credit: AKHILA EASWARAN
Stakeholders across the cricket fraternity have stated that there has been a sharp rise in the number of women playing cricket in Tamil Nadu, particularly since 2017. With the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) setting up academies and sponsoring players and their coaching, cricket is now a viable career option for many aspiring women who have set their sights on the Indian jersey.
According to data from the TNCA, there has been a 38% increase in the number of women who have appeared for selections from the 2022-2023 (472 across districts) season till the latest 2025-2026 season (770). Although there was a drop in the 2024-2025 numbers from 725 to 700, it picked up again this year.
It was 2017 that sowed the seeds of this nation-wide rise though. That year, the Indian team which reached the final against England at the Lord's, suffered a nine-run loss. Yet, they captured the imagination of a number of Indians who finally acknowledged women playing professional cricket. “The following summer, in 2018, we noticed a clear uptick. Our summer camp that year had more girls registering than ever before. It felt like a movement was quietly taking shape. The pandemic paused things for a while, but from 2021 onwards, we've seen steady momentum again. What's beautiful now is that the interest isn't just from older teenagers chasing State caps. We're seeing younger age groups, even eight-year-old girls walking in with their parents. That's where the future of women's cricket truly lies,” says Prithi.
The subsequent conduct of the Women's Premier League in 2023 helped cement this movement even though it was subject to immense trolling in its first edition.
A woman practising cricket at AM Jain college ground in Chennai. | Photo Credit: AKHILA EASWARAN
Selectors on board, including former Indian captain Sudha Shah, say that there was once a time when people had no idea about the team having reached the finals in 2005 in South Africa. Now though, times have changed and the selection pool of players has increased. Earlier, elimination was the name of the game. “Now however, quality players from across Tamil Nadu, are being scouted for. The competition is tough. It is no longer a simple team to put together,” she says.
Aarti Sankaran, who has coached teams across age categories including the under 15, 19 and 23, says that she is mostly excited to see the proliferation of the sport from the districts. That is where much of the talent is from, she says, adding that teams from places like Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Madurai and Salem, have proven to have extraordinary talent as shown in the TNCA inter-district tournaments that usually doubles up as a talent scouting programme. Much of today's State girls team comprises young women from the district.
Bhagwandas Rao, newly appointed secretary of the TNCA, says that the association has been in the process of conducting well-functioning and quality infrastructure at their satellite campuses in Tiruppur, Madurai, Theni, and Tiruchi, as well as residential facilities in Natham and Salem. “This is besides our ground here in Chennai and a top-notch gym that we have constructed here. The aim is to also amp up the experts including physiotherapists so that more people are available both during and off season. We've been hosting special camps for women across age categories where they are given a daily dearness allowance for taking part. Before selection to the camp, they can train at all the grounds and the nets at the above locations,” he says.
A young girl practising her bowling in Chennai | Photo Credit: AKHILA EASWARAN
Bhagwandas says that the intention is to align with the National Cricket Association in order to ensure that great quality is provided to players across socio-economic strata. Safety is central too.
Aarti says that some remote and newly formed districts might occasionally struggle to put together a team. Yet, it is just the start, she says. “There is pure grit and a need to prove themselves in a place where conveniences are not easily handed out. That is unique about the players from the district,” she says.
Niranjana Nagarajan, former Indian cricketer, who has also been mentoring young cricketers today, says that there is another important reason why many young women are taking to cricket. “It is finally a viable profession,” she says, adding that there is money to be made in the WPL now too. Those who do well are absorbed by the Central and State governments too, she says.
Currently, the roster of promising players include the likes of G Kamalini, S Anusha, and Akshara Srinivasan.
Bhagwandas says that the aim is to increase momentum so that there is more representation of Tamil Nadu in the Zonal and National teams. “But before that, ensure that your children join your neighbourhood cricket academies so they start young,” he says.
In order to do so, both Sudha Shah and Aarthi suggest that coaching begin at the school-level and special exceptions be given to children, particularly girls, who want to pursue this as a career.
TNCA's gym at their Madurai facility | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
It is also imperative to support promising players who come from diverse socio-economic backgrounds to ensure that the sport, often dubbed deeply expensive, is accessible to talent too.
Prithi suggests that having some structural changes including more tournaments and avenues for women to play, will help aid not just their game but also their income. “The ecosystem for men's cricket is also far more financially structured. A boy playing even fourth or fifth division cricket can earn a match fee. A man playing first division cricket can get full time employment. For girls, that pathway barely exists right now. That is why this World Cup win feels so crucial. It is not just about inspiring players, but also parents, academies and administrators to build a pipeline and create equal opportunities,” she adds.
Published - November 12, 2025 03:56 pm IST
sport / Women's Cricket World Cup / India / The Hindu MetroPlus
Source: TheHindu
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