Former players Shantha Rangaswamy and Nutan Gavaskar opened on the growth of women’s cricket in India. “There was no money, and the sponsors were hardly seen.
The foreign tours were rare, but the women cricketers believed that the show must go on,” said Nutan Gavaskar, who worked hard towards the betterment of women’s cricket in the country.
Nutan is a young sister of Sunil Gavaskar, and she recently recalled how players were motivated to play for India. “We were told that women’s cricket is not a sport. We were not considered professionals, and there was no money, she told PTI news.
She highlighted the struggles to raise money for playing matches in overseas countries. “Air India gave the tickets as we were playing for the country,” she added.
“A team had just three bats. There were four washrooms for 20 people. The daal was given in a plastic vessel. We travelled in unreserved coaches and we had to carry our kits,” Shantha Rangaswamy, India’s first women’s Test captain, said.
Rangaswamy said India’s success in the 2025 Women’s World Cup is the result of decades of perseverance. “The foundation was laid back years ago, and we are happy the current players are getting the facilities.”