22 years before the Harmanpreet Kaur-led Indian cricket team made the country proud by winning the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025, actress Mandira Bedi helped the team financially when they were in a soup. At the peak of her popularity back in the 2000s, she indirectly sponsored the Women in Blue, without making it public.
In 2003, the Indian women’s cricket team, governed then by the Women’s Cricket Association of India (WCAI), was preparing for a crucial tour of England. But there was one major problem — the WCAI was under-funded.
They could not pay for flight tickets or afford decent accommodation for the players. Many even feared that the tour might get cancelled due to lack of money.
Image credit: AFP
Mandira Bedi was one of the most recognisable faces on Indian television. She was a household name, and brands couldn’t get enough of her. It was during the same time that Bedi was shooting for a diamond jewellery brand and heard about the women’s cricket team’s financial struggles.
Mandira decided to donate her entire ad campaign fees to the Indian cricket team. She did not stop there; the actress also raised money for the WCAI through her connections with different companies and ensured Indian women’s cricket stayed afloat before the BCCI and its state bodies took over in 2006.
“The Women’s Cricket Association of India (WCAI) was formed in 1973 and selected the national team until 2006, when the BCCI finally took the women’s game under its wings. Looking back, those were days without money, but the women played on for the passion and love of the game," Nutan Gavaskar, senior member of the WCAI, told PTI.
He further added, “The Women's Cricket Association of India (WCAI) was formed in 1973 and selected the national team until 2006, when the BCCI finally took the women's game under its wings. Looking back, those were days without money, but the women played on for the passion and love of the game.”
In the early 2000s, cricket shows were mostly run by men. They were in the commentary boxes, the discussion panels, and at the fields. This was the time when Mandira Bedi, a popular TV actress, took over the studio with her impeccable cricket knowledge and mind-blowing speaking skills.
Image credit: AFP
According to many, she didn’t belong. And they said it, loudly. Many also trolled her for her dressing choices, hairstyle and presentation. But, she did not give up, and hit back by becoming the first woman in Indian cricket broadcasting.
So tell us, isn’t it time we remember the woman who kept India’s dream alive when it almost faded?
