I no longer see myself as a woman cricketer but simply as a cricketer. Why should there be labels when none are required? - Smriti Mandhana
Indian women cricketers have now made a reputation for themselves and are right there at the top of world rankings by ICC. But this was not the case earlier and a lot of efforts were put to uplift the position of women's cricket in India. Although women's cricket was not an alien concept even in the '70s, but it was far from being organized. It was only under the leadership of Mr. Mahendra Kumar Sharma whose enthusiasm and entrepreneurial spirit led to the formal registration of the Women's Cricket Association of India in 1973. Begum Hamida Habibullah became the first President of the Association.
India started playing international women's cricket in 1975 when Australia toured India to play a test series. The first ever women's test match was held in Pune with three different Indian national women cricket team captains, leading them in three different matches. Ujwala Nikam, Sudha Shah, and Shreeroopa Bose became household names after this test series and India burst onto the world cricket scene, playing in back to back matches with New Zealand, England, Australia, and the West Indies.
West Indies was the first team India beat in 1976 much to the awe of the 25,000+ spectators in Patna.
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All Indian National Women Cricket Team Captains
Indian national women cricket team captains have been individuals who have raised the benchmark of cricket in the world. Some of them have been instrumental in making women's cricket at par with men's while others have led the team to glory in a World Cup. Here is a full list of captain of women Indian cricket team in every format of the game - ODI, T20 and test match.
Indian National Women Cricket Team Captains - ODIs
The following is a list of every captain of women Indian cricket team who has led the team in at least one ODI -
- Diana Edulji
- Shantha Rangaswamy
- Shubhangi Kulkarni
- Purnima Rau
- Pramila Bhatt
- Chanderkanta Kaul
- Anju Jain
- Anjum Chopra
- Mamatha Maben
- Mithali Raj
- Jhulan Goswami
- Rumeli Dhar
- Harmanpreet Kaur
Indian National Women Cricket Team Captains - T20 International
The following is a list of every captain of women Indian cricket team who has led the team in at least one T20 international match -
- Mithali Raj
- Jhulan Goswami
- Anjum Chopra
- Harmanpreet Kaur
- Smriti Mandhan
Find out about test captain of women Indian cricket team.
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Most Successful Indian Women Cricketers
Cricket is traditionally popular as a gentleman's game. It is needless to say that women have had to struggle to make a name for themselves and to get women's cricket its rightful place. There was a time when women playing cricket was almost unthinkable. But the tide has turned. And today women's cricket is giving their men counterparts a run for their money when it comes to success and fame.
Top 10 Best Women Players in Indian Cricket
1. Mithali Raj
The current captain of women Indian cricket team, Mithali Raj made her debut in 1999 and went on to make a name for herself with a knockout century. At the tender age of 19, she set a world record by scoring 214 runs in only her 3rd test match. She was later honored with the Arjuna Award in recognition of her contribution.
2. Shikha Pandey
An engineer, Air Force pilot, and a cricketer. Shikha has been there, done that and still hungry for more.
3. Veda Krishnamurthy
She got her fan moment when she made her debut with idol, Mithali Raj at the young age of 15. Since then, she has shouldered the batting responsibility and won many matches for India.
4. Anjum Chopra
Another Arjuna Award recipient, Anjum was instrumental in India's winning streak in the Asia Cup.
5. Smriti Mandhana
Smriti became the first Indian women cricketer to score a double century at the age of 17 during a first class match between Maharashtra and Gujarat.
6. Shubhangi Kulkarni
Shubhangi was only the 3rd woman ever to receive the prestigious Arjuna Award back in 1985. She went on to become the Secretary of Women's Cricket Association of India during its merger with BCCI in 2006.
7. Neetu David
Neetu is by far the best woman leg spinner in Indian cricket. She is the third highest wicket taker in test matches for India.
8. Jhulan Goswami
Jhulan is the fastest Indian bowler with enviable statistics. In 2008, she was honored with the Padma Shri award by the Government of India for her excellent contribution as captain of women Indian cricket team.
9. Harmanpreet Kaur
She is one of the most sought after cricketers in world cricket today, having signed contracts with both Australian and English domestic cricket clubs.
10. Purnima Basu
Purnima played many match-winning knocks as a batter in the middle order. And later became the coach of the national team.
Qualities of the Captain of Women Indian Cricket Team
Every day is a chance to get better - Mithali Raj
Women have always been at the forefront of change. Be it running the household or representing the country in a game of cricket. Proudly labeled as the Women in Blue, Indian women cricketers have really made the country proud with their achievements. The team has set a benchmark and inspired many generations. It is not easy to make a mark in a game and a country which are known to belong to men. But they have achieved it.
Indian women cricketers have built an identity for themselves and it is nor ordinary feat. The role of the captain of women Indian cricket team can't be undermined. Their relentless efforts in bringing the team to a level where it becomes a force to reckon with can never be discounted.
Proud Statistics
- 3 out of the Top 15 international women cricketers are Indians. Mithali Raj, Smriti Mandhana, and Harmanpreet Kaur rank 4th, 8th, and 11th respectively.
- Deepti Sharma and Poonam Raut have put up a record-breaking partnership of 320 runs.
- The captain of women Indian cricket team, Mithali Raj has been conferred the honorable Padma Shri and Arjuna Award.
The women's cricket team in India is all about never giving up and setting new milestones of success. They have fought many odds to get to where they are now. But there is still a long way to go. For women cricketers, it is not just a sport, but a reflection of high-spirited team work, perseverance, patience, and unbreakable spirit.
How to Find Good Cricket Coaches Near Me?
In modern cricket, coaches play an absolutely critical role. A coach is not just someone who oversees strategies but works equally hard with the players before every match by training hard and walking the path to success with them. It can now be said that cricket coaching has changed for the better in the last few years. Earlier it used to be the privilege of only the elite to be able to access high-quality coaches. But thanks to an all-round effort of the government and BCCI, cricket coaching is now more accessible and affordable.
Top 5 Qualities of A Cricket Coach
1. Stay Out of the Limelight
Coaches are really the people who work behind the scenes towards the success of teams. The coach and captain can be said to be two sides of the same coin. Humility is the mark of a good cricket coach in any format.
2. Immerse in the Team Culture
This is of paramount importance if you want to work with the team, especially if you are a foreign coach. Just like different countries have varying cultures, so do different teams in cricket or any other sport. A coach has to assimilate in the culture, while bringing their own style into it.
3. Have Excellent People Skills
In the context of sports, people skills reflect one's ability to understand and deal with each individual player, while bringing out the best in them. This means that as a coach, one has to provide care and tough love as per the situation.
4. Let Go of Ego
Since international coaches deal with multiple players from across the world, it is important to keep their ego aside and focus on the game.
5. Must Have World Cricket Experience
It is not an absolute necessity to have international playing experience, but it definitely adds an advantage to the strategy-making role of the coach.
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