Mandira Bedi changed the game for women in the field of cricket and how they were perceived. She became the first woman to host the ICC Cricket World Cup, breaking stereotypes in a field long dominated by men. The transition, however, was not without challenges. She faced intense scrutiny and was even branded “dumb” by critics who questioned her ability to speak intelligently about cricket. But with unwavering confidence, meticulous preparation, and sheer persistence, Mandira silenced her detractors. Her success not only established her credibility but also paved the way for greater acceptance of women in sports media, both behind the mic and beyond it.Now as the Indian women’s cricket team won the World cup and made everyone proud, here’s recalling those years when the women’s team did not get any sponsors or financial support. It was that time that Mandira stood up and came to help them. Recalling those early struggles, Nutan Gavaskar — younger sister of cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar and former secretary of the Women’s Cricket Association of India (WCAI), told PTI, “The WCAI was formed in 1973 and managed the national team until 2006, when the BCCI finally took women’s cricket under its wing. Back then, there was no money — but all those women played for the sheer passion and love of the game.” She went on to explain, “We were under the International Women’s Cricket Council (IWCC), which made it clear that women’s cricket wasn’t a professional sport. There was no financial support because we weren’t considered professionals.”It was during such testing times that Mandira Bedi stepped forward to offer help. Already a household name in television and cricket broadcasting, she used her influence to raise funds for the women’s team.Nutan revealed, “On another occasion, we had Mandira Bedi, who shot a commercial for a famous diamond brand. The entire endorsement fee she received, she donated to the WCAI. That money helped us arrange air tickets for India’s tour of England.”Mandira had told The Telegraph India in an earlier interview, “The money I would have taken for my endorsement will go towards the cricket sponsorship.”She also shared her intention to continue helping the sport: “There is another sponsor lined up for the next series.”Shubhangi Kulkarni, then secretary of the WCAI and a former Indian cricketer, added, “It was very difficult to get sponsors in the last few years. But once Mandira took up our cause, other corporates began to show interest. She came to watch a match, and we told her, ‘You have done…’”Fast forward to the present, after India’s stunning victory over South Africa in the World Cup final in Mumbai, Mandira once again expressed her admiration for the women’s team. On Instagram, she posted a handwritten note that read: “You didn’t play for a nation, you moved it.”Her caption read, “I once stood on the sidelines of women’s cricket, humbled by its grit and grace. Last night, you showed the world its power. This victory was not a moment; it was a shift in the heartbeat of every little girl who will now dream without apology.”
