AHMEDABAD: As hundreds of citizens take to the Sabarmati riverfront in the early morning hours to jog and exercise, it's impossible to miss the action taking place on the open grounds near the promenade. Here, women in their twenties and thirties swing bats and have a go at different forms of deliveries, often playing with minimal gear borrowed from brothers or cousins.
It's just like gully cricket, where mended old bats score runs and worn-out tennis balls scalp wickets.
But what's brand-new here is the women's confidence and zeal for the game.
"Yes, we often attract onlookers unaccustomed to seeing women playing cricket in public places. But we also attract other women who want to try their hand at batting or bowling, and play a few overs," says Puja Kothari, 30, a resident of Satellite. "We started playing on the riverfront with a group of 10-12 women aged 18 to 35 years for an upcoming community event where two women's teams are participating."
Kothari says community members wanted a men-only event this year, but the women protested. "We may be smaller in numbers, but it is a way of expressing ourselves, and we already have 20-odd players ready," she adds.
For many youngsters in Ahmedabad - and elsewhere in Gujarat - Sunday is incomplete without a few matches of gully cricket where minimal of gears and a handful of players give an undiluted joy of a beautiful game.
'23 landmark yr for women cricketers
While 2023 was a landmark year for women's cricket in India with pay parity with male counterparts and a historic Test win against Australia, it has also spurred women in city and in the state to emulate the now-household names of Mithali Raj, Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodriguez and Smriti Mandhana.
Mansi Chavda and her friends-cum-colleagues at a financial firm on Ashram Road are regulars at Sabarmati Riverfront for an upcoming office event.
"We have two teams of women cricket players. We have been slogging it out since December for the event in February. We take some time off from work or practice before or after office hours. It is a game that some had never played before and joined out of curiosity, but now are enjoying," she says.
"Earlier, there were only a couple of women in men's teams at such events, but now we play as full teams."
The rise in the number of girls playing recreational cricket has corresponded with girls flocking to academies in the city. This is corroborated by Sports Promotion Charitable Trust (SPCT) director Deval Lathigara. "The change has been visible since India played the final of the T20 World Cup at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in March 2020. Though India lost, many players performed well in the tournament, which motivated girls to pick up the sport."
Lathogara adds, "Today, there are 15-20 girls in the academy from five to 16-year-olds. If you compare the situation to about five years ago, there used to be only one or two girls in the academy. They also would leave in 10-15 days," adds Lathigara, who runs his academy in Ahmedabad's Thaltej area.
Echoing a similar view is Sumer Singh Bhati, founder of M'Power Cricket Academy. "We have around 25-30 girls in the academy. The Women's Premier League (WPL) and the decision to ensure equal pay for women cricketers has played a pivotal role in promoting women's cricket. Parents are gaining more confidence about sending their daughters to play. From two to three girls some three years back, we now have around 10 girls at the academy," says Bhati.
Kishor Trivedi, a senior cricket coach in the city, is mentoring two girls under 15 years. "We get more numbers during school events, but more parents need to encourage their wards to take up cricket as a serious sport. Compared to men's cricket, there is relatively lesser competition to participate at the state and national levels. We have also provided encouragement in the form of discounted fees," he said.
Vadodara, which has produced several international women cricketers in the past few years, is also seeing a spike in interest, say coaches.
"We started a separate women's cricket academy to ensure that they get quality coaching. More and more girls are showing interest in the sport now," says Pankaj Jani, who runs Shreyas Cricket Academy in Vadodara.
"Women's cricket has picked up in the last few years in the city. With spectators showing interest in international women's cricket, girls are now keen to play this sport," says Ketan Panchal, head coach of the Motibaug Cricket Club.
(Inputs by Yogesh Chawda, Ragini Bhardwaj, Sabu Cherian from Ahmedabad, Tushar Tere from Vadodara)
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