Dreams are made of this. A string of euphoric teenaged girls sprinting towards the pitch, punching the air, screaming, hooting and living every second of the adrenaline rush of winning an inaugural U-19 World Cup final. It will be years before they realise what they have achieved. But looking in from the outside - doffing the hat to those who bore the brunt of poor administration till women's cricket rose to heights from where they could dream of winning a World Cup, only to be denied in 2005, 2017 and 2020 -this feels nothing less than a seminal moment.
There were so many little and big things that went and could have gone wrong. Shafali Verma, who joined with 74 senior games to her name, wasn't in prolific form. The Super 6 loss to Australia could have a debilitating effect but India regrouped, won the other games till they made a mismatch of the final against a strong England side. After years of skipped heartbeats and prayers gone unanswered, reconciling with a nerveless India side at a World Cup final wasn't easy. And with it came confirmation of what we already know: The girls are coming.
The timing of it couldn't have been more perfect. Recognition has come, albeit at its own pace. The MCC opened its doors to women only at the turn of the century.
This story is from the January 31, 2023 edition of Hindustan Times.
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This story is from the January 31, 2023 edition of Hindustan Times.
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