After India’s women’s cricket team lifted their maiden World Cup trophy on Sunday, scripting a golden chapter in Indian sports history, an old, shocking remark by former BCCI president N. Srinivasan has resurfaced, igniting a fresh storm over the board’s past treatment of women’s cricket.
In a 2017 interview, former India captain Diana Edulji had revealed that when she went to congratulate Srinivasan after he became BCCI president in 2011, he allegedly told her, “If I had my way, I wouldn’t let women’s cricket happen.”According to Edulji, the veteran administrator “hated” the idea of women’s cricket and saw it as an unnecessary distraction.
Edulji, a fierce advocate for women’s participation in cricket, had then said, “I’ve always been a BCCI basher, right from the day women’s cricket came under their fold in 2006. The board has always been male-dominated and reluctant to let women take charge. I was vocal about it even during my playing days.”
Fast forward to 2025, the scene could not be more different. Under Harmanpreet Kaur’s fearless leadership, Team India clinched the Women’s World Cup with a thrilling 52-run win over South Africa. The victory was powered by Deepti Sharma’s magical 5/39 and Shafali Verma’s explosive 87 off 78 balls, after India posted a commanding 298/7. South Africa’s chase fizzled out at 246, despite skipper Laura Wolvaardt’s fighting 101.
As celebrations erupted across the country, Harmanpreet struck a composed yet telling note for her critics. “Criticism is part of life,” she said after the win. “It helps keep us grounded. If everything goes well, you risk becoming overconfident. So I don’t blame anyone — it only makes us stronger.”
