Tendulkar recalled how seeing India\u2019s 1983 ODI World Cup triumph and being a ball boy for the 1987 edition had ignited his dream to play for the country.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI was barely 10 years old, but the images of the players running with stumps and bails, including Mohinder Amarnath, who also won the Man of the Match in both the semi-final and the final, and of the team holding that gleaming trophy aloft, are etched in my mind forever,\u201d wrote Tendulkar in his column for the ICC on Monday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cFor me, it was not just a cricket match - it was a revelation. That win told an entire generation of young Indians that dreams need not be constrained by boundaries. The stories from that campaign, like Kapil paaji\u2019s legendary 175 against Zimbabwe - a knock that might not have been televised but is immortalised, are etched in our memory as folklore.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThat innings was not just about runs; it was about belief. It told every boy in the gullies of Mumbai or villages of Punjab that aspiration could be limitless. It certainly shaped my own journey. Four years later, in 1987, I was a ball boy at the Wankhede Stadium when India lost to England in the semi-final. Standing on the sidelines that day, watching heroes up close, I resolved that one day I too would wear that India jersey.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cNow, nearly four decades later, I sense that women\u2019s cricket in India stands on the cusp of its own watershed moment. The upcoming ICC Women\u2019s World Cup will not just be about chasing a trophy; it will be about igniting countless dreams. Somewhere in Moga, a teenage girl might be clutching her bat tighter, hoping to emulate her idol Harmanpreet Kaur. In Sangli, another girl might be practising her drives, daring to dream like Smriti Mandhana,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He also lauded the influence of Harmanpreet and Smriti as the top role models for women\u2019s cricket in India. \u201cI still remember vividly Harmanpreet\u2019s magnificent 171 against Australia in the 2017 World Cup. It was not just an innings; it was a statement.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThe sheer audacity of her strokeplay, the clarity of her mind, and the courage in her heart took women\u2019s cricket in India into a new orbit. I believe that was the moment when many stopped seeing women\u2019s cricket as a sideshow\u2014it became centre stage.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cSmriti, too, has become one of the most important and experienced members of this side. There is a silken grace to her batting, a natural rhythm in the way she times the ball. Her ability to find gaps with such elegance reminds me of the finest in the game.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThat record-breaking 50-ball century against Australia was not only breathtaking - it was a resounding message that Indian women can dominate at the very highest level. She is not just an elite batter, but a symbol of modern India\u2019s confidence,\u201d he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Tendulkar further believes India\u2019s pursuit of a maiden World Cup title carries weight beyond the scoreboard. \u201cBut this World Cup is larger than individuals, larger even than a single team. It is about a movement, a shift in how we view the game. For too long, women\u2019s cricket lived in the shadows, despite the immense talent it nurtured.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cNow, the sport has the opportunity to transcend barriers\u2014of gender, of perception, of accessibility. The little girl with a plastic bat in a small town must feel that the world is open to her, just as I felt after watching a triumphant Team India in 1983,\u201d Tendulkar wrote.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cAs the women in blue step onto the field in this World Cup, they will not just be representing India in a sporting contest. They will be carrying with them the hopes of millions, the possibility of inspiring a generation, and the power to redefine what is achievable.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cJust as 1983 gave Indian cricket a new identity, I believe this World Cup can do the same for women\u2019s cricket in India. And perhaps, years later, some little girl watching this World Cup will say: That was the day my journey began.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The legendary cricketer signed off by lauding the strides made for women\u2019s cricket in the last few years. \u201cThe Women\u2019s Premier League has been nothing short of a game-changer. It has provided the platform, visibility, and financial security that generations of women cricketers could only dream of.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cJust as 1983 gave Indian cricket a new identity, I believe this World Cup can do the same for women\u2019s cricket in India. And perhaps, years later, some little girl watching this World Cup will say: That was the day my journey began.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI also want to thank the ICC for announcing record prize money for this tournament, even surpassing what was on offer for the men\u2019s World Cup in 2023. Symbolically and practically, it sends a powerful message\u2014that women\u2019s cricket deserves not just applause, but equal respect,\u201d he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n