A recent study on women's development in Indian cricket is showing the craze and effect of the Harmanpreet Kaur-Smriti Mandhana era, with active participation in women’s cricket doubling across 14 states in India since 2020.

The survey has established some facts, such as women who actually play cricket and how their percentage rose from five percent to ten percent since 2020. Participation among younger women has seen a more drastic increase in women aged between 15 and 24, as compared to six percent in 2020.

This study, conducted by the BBC and Collective Newsroom, shows a steady shift in the women's sporting landscape in India.

Young women leading the Indian women's cricket team

Among younger women, the increase has been even more striking. Sixteen percent of women aged 15 to 24 now say that they play cricket, according to the study, almost three times the six percent recorded in 2020. Researchers also found that the sport is increasingly being regarded as a potential career path, with one in four young women reporting they have considered a professional future in sports.

The main reason for increased participation is also a cause of the recent success at the ICC ODI Women’s World Cup. The Indian women's cricket team recently achieved a historic milestone by winning its maiden ICC Women's Cricket World Cup title and also defeated the Australian women's national cricket team in a three-match T20I series, their first such bilateral series victory against Australia in a decade.

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Its increasing popularity has also redrawn the wider sporting hierarchy among women. Concluding that cricket has now taken a healthy lead ahead of Kabaddi as the most-played sport among female players in the states surveyed, the report said, in 2020, cricket was only marginally ahead of Kabaddi on that metric, but the most recent data indicate that cricket’s lead has expanded substantially.

Increased participation has occurred in most parts of the country. Every single state but two among the 14, classified as a result of the survey, has enjoyed growth in women’s cricket participation, with Uttar Pradesh recording the biggest increase. In the state, the proportion of women playing cricket rose tenfold, from only one per cent in 2020 to 10 per cent today.

This included a much greater interest in sports careers among young women. The figure is around 26 percent for women aged 15 to 24, compared to just 16 percent in 2020. Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, and Meghalaya saw the highest levels of interest.

The study has also shown there is a rise in participation in badminton as well, particularly in the states of Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.

However, the research has mentioned that the cause of concern remains. Safety concerns remain an issue for some women's participation in sport, with 13 percent of respondents who do not participate in any sport citing safety as the primary barrier.

The findings show positive progress but also highlight work ahead, said Rupa Jha, editor-in-chief and co-founder at Collective Newsroom.

“The findings show both progress and continuing barriers. While participation and viewership are rising fast, stereotypes and practical challenges remain,” Jha said, adding that the data should encourage wider discussion and action to support women athletes in India.