Women in Indian Cricket: Pioneers Shaping the Future

Women’s cricket in India has travelled an enormous journey since the early 70s. The Indian women’s cricket team has already made a mark at the world level by qualifying for the finals of the ICC Women’s World Cup in 2005 and making an entry into the semi-finals in 2017. With such an outstanding performance by the women’s squad, unfortunately, women’s cricket in India could not be glorified with a similar identity and support.

Over the past year, it has been bridging the gap with bridge activities to promote women’s cricket in India. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has taken some initiatives to improve the visibility of the women’s game, which includes an increase in live telecast of matches, better facilities, and resources for female players. Efforts towards the promotion of the involvement of women in cricket are also similar in countries such as Malawi, therefore inspiring the emergence of cricket betting in the country on platforms like Betway Malawi.

The Indian women's cricket team has already made a mark at the world level by qualifying for the finals of the ICC Women's World Cup in 2005 and making an entry into the semi-finals in 2017.#WomenEmpowerment #womencricket #harmanpreetKaur #icccricketworldcup #TeamIndia #Support pic.twitter.com/opN82OAqRJ

— Neo Prime Sports (@Neoprimesports) May 8, 2024

Not only this, but players like Mithali Raj, Smriti Mandhana, and Shikha Pandey have been successful in bringing popularity to the women cricketers of the country. That said, let us have a look at some of the top women players of Indian cricket.

7 Top Women Players In Indian Cricket

Anjum Chopra

Anjum Chopra was born on 20th May 1977, and by profession, she has been an Indian cricketer representing the Indian Women’s Cricket Team from 1995 to 2012. She was the captain of the Indian team from 2002 to 2005. Chopra is well acclaimed as the first Indian woman cricketer who could score a century in One-Day Internationals (ODI). She scored 2,856 runs in 127 ODIs with an average of 31.71. Chopra also was part of the Indian team in 2005, which reached the finals of the women’s cricket World Cup.

Shubhangi Kulkarni

Shubhangi Kulkarni, born February 23, 1962, was a former Indian woman cricketer who represented India from 1976 to 1991. During her time, she became the first Indian woman cricketer to score a century in test cricket. In the 8 Test matches that Kulkarni played, she could score 657 runs at an average of 46.92. In the 75 ODIs she played, Kulkarni scored 1355 runs at a very ordinary average of 23.98. Kulkarni also worked as the coach of the Indian women’s cricket team between 2008 and 2011.

Smriti Mandhana

Smriti Mandhana is a modern-day Indian cricketer who was first recognized when she made her debut for the Indian Women’s cricket team in 2013. An aggressive left-handed opener, Mandhana averages 43.35 in 51 ODIs, having accumulated 1,951 runs. This outstanding performance led her to be honored as the Women’s Cricketer of the Year at the 2018 ICC Awards.

Also read: Sanju Samson becomes the first Kerala cricketer to score a hundred in International cricket.

Purnima Rau / Purnima Basu

Purnima Rau (now known as Purnima Basu), born on 5 November 1968, is a former Indian woman cricketer. She represented the Indian Women Cricket Team from 1991 to 1995. She was a part of the Indian squad that won the 1993 Women’s Cricket World Cup. In the matches Basu played, she scored 401 runs with an average of 22.27.

Mithali Raj

Born on December 3, 1982, Mithali Raj is an Indian woman cricketer representing India at present. She made her debut in the year 1999 and is a premier player of the team at present. She made her name as the highest run-scorer in women’s international cricket. She has scored 10,273 runs in 311 matches across all formats. In addition, she was the captain of the Indian team from 2004 to 2021.

Neetu David

Neetu David is a former Indian cricketer who represented the Indian women’s cricket team from 1995 to 2008. She was known for her left-arm orthodox spin bowling and has taken 141 wickets in 97 ODI appearances at an average of 16.34. David was a part of the Indian team that reached the final of the 2005 Women’s Cricket World Cup.

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Shikha Pandey

Born on the 12th of May, 1989, Shikha Pandey is a present Indian cricketer who represents the Indian Women’s Cricket Team. She marked her debut in 2014 and has been the backbone of the team since then. Pandey is a right-arm medium-fast bowler and has taken 73 wickets in 59 matches at an average of 21.89. She was also a part of the Indian team that made it to the finals of the 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup.

So these were the top women in cricket who outshined India. Feel free to share your opinions in the comments down below if we miss someone in the list.