Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly feels that women’s cricket has made immense strides in growth and reach since 2019, perhaps more than their male counterparts. Ganguly based his argument on the emergence of the Women’s Premier League, a pool of talented players like Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana, and the team’s recent success in global events.
“The progress in women’s cricket in India since 2019 is, perhaps, more significant than the men’s team. The men’s team has always been very good. But from where the women’s team was to where they have reached — winning the Asia Cup, their performance in the World Cups, and being the runners-up in the Commonwealth Games (in 2022),” Ganguly said.
“Players like Harmanpreet, Smriti, Richa, Jemimah, Shafali, the way they have progressed is impressive.”
Ganguly also praised young pacer Renuka Singh, saying, “When Jhulan (Goswami) finished, we wondered where the next seamer would come from, and then Renuka (Singh) Thakur has developed over the last three years. That’s the best thing about women’s cricket,” added the former BCCI president.
As the Director of Cricket at the Delhi Capitals, Ganguly expressed delight in the team acquiring talented Indian players from the recent WPL auction.
“I think Ashwani Kumari is someone they (DC) kept an eye on because she can hit the ball a long way and she bowls. We needed a backup keeper, so we got another one.
With three slots to fill, we knew one would always be the most important, and we got (Annabel) Sutherland,” Ganguly said.”
