Women's Cricket
Opinion: Smriti Mandhana’s act of defiance, a call for respect and recognition
The RCB skipper's retort at a media event has created a furore on social media.
Visibly frustrated by the question thrown at her, Mandhana let out an awkward smile before shooting back her answer. (File photo)
Smriti Mandhana is usually one of the calmest sportspersons in India. She is hyper focused on the field and often goes about her business with a smile on her face.
But she does get occasionally triggered, as her Royal Challengers Bengaluru teammate Shreyanka Patil would find out, having been at the receiving end for waving at the Chinnaswamy stadium crowds while ignoring her skipper's on-field instructions in the 2024 Women’s Premier League..
On Thursday, Mandhana once again seemed to have been irked.
“Since we are in the WPL, let’s stick to women’s cricket,” Mandhana said sternly, but with a smile.
The Virat Kohli factor
The RCB captain was fielding questions during a press conference ahead of the third edition of WPL when asked about “her feelings on sharing the same jersey number as Virat Kohli.”
Visibly frustrated by the question thrown at her, Mandhana let out an awkward smile before shooting back her answer.
The question, though trivial, underlines a larger problem in women’s sports. The constant comparison, drawing parallels between men’s and women’s sports – it is nothing but subtle sexism.
It holds back athletes from garnering attention on their own terms or achievements and rather implies that women’s sport is secondary or less significant than men’s sports.
While what Kohli has achieved wearing the same jersey number is unlikely to be forgotten, women’s sports need to be celebrated for its own merits and demerits.
Besides, it is essential to understand that all such comparisons do no good to women’s sports and push them under the bus unnecessarily.
Social media backlash
Since her statement yesterday, Mandhana has endured a barrage of trolls on social media. She has been called names, slurs for taking a stand not only for her but also her counterparts.
The online hate continues to grow with each passing minute and as with almost all the cases, it is something which cannot be controlled.
What can be controlled is how women’s sports is presented; how the athletes are treated by experts and the media. That is vital to laying down a good foundation.
Women’s cricket has grown in popularity in India over the years, thanks to leagues like WPL and its widespread coverage when compared to a few years back.
It is easy to argue that all this is part and parcel of the sport in an evolving society, but the need for women athletes to justify their place in sports highlights the deep-rooted biases which still exist despite the progress being made.
Mandhana is no stranger to such questions. She has tackled them before as well. And she is usually softspoken.
When asked about the pay inequality in cricket in few years back, she had maintained that its fair that men get paid more since they bring in a large chunk of the viewership and revenue.
But this is quite possibly the first time that she expressed her feelings openly.
For someone who is usually one of the politest players going around in the sport, Mandhana’s answer, though brief, was an act of defiance. It was a demand for respect and recognition.
The gesture comes at a time when women’s sports across the globe continue to suffer under the shadow of rampant sexism from experts, fans, and journalists alike.
The likes of Smriti Mandhana and others deserve much more respect. They deserve to be treated as players, as stars, as individuals in their own right and not as a reflection of their male counterparts.
