E-Paper
Sign in
Sunil Gavaskar says India women's World Cup glory not the same as 1983: 'Some tried to compare this win with men's team'
Sunil Gavaskar believes the two World Cup victories are different, though their impact is equally significant.
The Indian women's cricket team emerged third time lucky when they beat South Africa in the final by 52 runs and won the Women's World Cup. Previously, they had come close to winning the ODI World Cup twice – in 2005 and 2017 – only to stumble at the final hurdle and finish runner-up. Eight years since the heartbreak at Lord's in 2017, under Mithali Raj, Harmanpreet Kaur and her bright group of girls gave Indian women’s cricket its moment under the sun, clinching the biggest title there is to win.
The victory immediately drew comparisons to the Indian men's team's World Cup victories – especially in 1983, when Kapil Dev's team had defied all odds to win the World Cup by beating the mighty West Indies, the greatest team of their time, in the final. Both wins were groundbreaking, with the results paving the way for future generations of males and females to be drawn to the sport. However, the legendary Sunil Gavaskar doesn't put them on an even keel, and here's why.
"The win once again emphasised, if ever it was needed, that sporting intelligence wins trophies, not fancy degrees from universities. It also proves that it will invariably be Indian coaches who get the best results since they know the players – their strengths, weaknesses, and temperament – and understand the nuances of Indian cricket better than any foreigner, however accomplished he or she may be," Gavaskar wrote in his column for The Sportstar.
"There were some who tried to compare this win with the men’s team winning the World Cup in 1983. The men had never progressed beyond the group stage in earlier editions, and so everything from the knockout stage onward was new to them, while the women already had a better record, having been in two finals before this magnificent triumph."
Sunil Gavaskar is not wrong
And he has a point. No one gave the Indian team of 1983 a chance to even reach the knockouts, let alone win the World Cup. On the contrary, the women's teams, besides 2005 and 2017, had also reached the final of the 2020 T20 World Cup, going down to Australia in the summit clash. Having said that, Gavaskar has no doubt that what Harmanpreet Kaur's team has achieved is a watershed moment, one that promises to break barriers and open a door that will usher in the next era of dominance for Indian women's cricket.
"Just as the '83 win galvanised Indian cricket and gave it a voice that was heard around the world, this victory will make the countries that started women’s cricket long before India did realise that their era of domination has been shaken. The ’83 win also encouraged parents of aspiring cricketers to let their children take up the game," added Gavaskar.
"Similarly, this win will give new wings to women’s cricket, bringing more girls into the game from the remotest parts of India. The WPL has already begun that process, as parents now see the sport as a genuine career option for their daughters and are more willing to support them."
