The most famous sport in India is cricket. After India's men's cricket team won the 1983 World Cup, the game gained popularity. After then, the game became a religion, and the players were treated like celebrities. Numerous female cricket players have become well-known due to the achievements of the Indian women's cricket team and the BCCI's deliberate efforts to elevate women's cricket into the mainstream. Their stories are replete with an exceptional amount of assurance and tenacity in the face of difficulty. They overcame patriarchal, social, and economic constraints to address the nation. Listed below are the top 10 Indian women's cricket players in history.
1. Mithali Raj
The Sachin Tendulkar of women's cricket is Mithali Dorai Raj. Her leadership skills are on par with MS Dhoni. She has several global records for cricket traffic. She has participated in most WODI runs. She was chosen as the Indian WODI team's captain in 2005. Her remarkable fitness and tenacious desire allowed her to play cricket for the nation for over 20 years. In addition, she has received several significant honors, such as the Padma Shri in 2015 and the Arjuna Award in 2003.
2. Shikha Pandey
Currently, the 28-year-old works in two professions. One was an IAF air traffic controller, while the other was a fast bowler for the Indian cricket team. Pandey spent her formative years in Goa, where she fantasied about flying someday while playing cricket with young men. Nevertheless, she started competing for the Goa Cricket Association in her second year of engineering school. She decided to plunge deeply into the world of cricket before completing her degree.
3. Veda Krishnamurthy
Veda, a two-time karate black belt who loved Mithali Raj, was training with the women's Indian cricket team captain at 15. In 2011, this right-handed hitter played her first ODI. She currently bats in the middle of the order for the Indian women's cricket team. Krishnamurthy resides in Kadur, a small residential area without any cricket fields. She secretly hoped to run across Raj, who she admired, while she was there.
4. Anjum Chopra
At a young age, Anjum Chopra entered the cricket field for the first time. She is the team's captain for women's cricket. When she was at the wicket, it was difficult for her to forget David Gower. She is a fantastic cricket player who has accomplished several career milestones. She declared her retirement from all sorts of employment in 2012
5. Smriti Mandhana
21-year-old Smriti Mandhana watched her father and siblings play local cricket as a child. At the age of nine, she was designated to the Maharashtra under-15 team, and two years later, she was a member of the under-19 squad. At age 17, she struck 224 in a game between the Maharashtra and Gujarat state teams, becoming the first Indian woman to do so in an ODI. She also agreed to a one-year deal with the Brisbane Heat for the Women's Big Bash League a year ago (WBBL).
6. Shubhangi Kulkarni
Shubhangi is a right-handed Indian women's cricket team batsman and a former leg spinner. In 1985, she was the third woman to get the Arjuna award. Kulkarni made his ODI debut against the West Indies in 1976 and both against New Zealand in 1978. Following her retirement, she was appointed secretary of the BCCI, which in 2006 merged with the Women Cricket Association of India.
7. Neetu David
Former Indian women's cricket team member and current chair of the BCCI women's selection committee, Neetu David. She has a tremendous left-arm spin. The best bowling statistics in women's Test cricket belong to Neetu. She scored 8/53 against England in Jamshedpur in November 1995. Neetu was the Women's World Cup's top wicket-taker in 2005. The most wickets ever taken by a player in the competition were 20 by her. She was also the first spinner from India to take 100 wickets in women's ODIs.
8. Jhulan Goswami
One of the quickest female bowlers in the game, Jhulan Goswami, is renowned for her all-around skills. Jhulan, who won the 2007 ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year award, has a fantastic average with 200 ODI, 40 Test, and 50 T20 wickets. She rose to the top of the ICC's accurate rankings for the primary ODI bowler as a result, and in October 2008, she was honored with the Padma Shri award for being India's lucky captain. She is among the top players in the world thanks to her economy of 3.24 in ODIs and 2.02 in Tests. After exceeding Cathryn Fitzpatrick, she became the most prominent wicket-taker in Women's One-Day International history.
9. Harmanpreet Kaur
A batter and all-rounder looks up to Virendra Sehwag. She is one of the cricketers from India who signed a contract with the Sydney Thunder in Australia, and in her first match, she struck two fours and three sixes. She also joined the Kia Super League team from the ECB, Surrey Stars. She claimed the ICC Women's World Cup Qualifier by striking a six in the final two balls.
10. Purnima Rau
Fantastic hitter Purnima was among the first Indian women's players to attempt to take advantage of the 15-over field restrictions, following in the footsteps of Romesh Kaluwitharana and Sanath Jayasuriya of Sri Lanka. Questions regarding her bowling exploits persisted during the 2000 World Cup, ultimately spoiling her disposition. She had the sole noteworthy score in the semi-final of that competition, which her side lost against the Kiwis. She never played for India again. Therefore it was also her last outing abroad.
