Mandira Bedi was the silent sponsor for India’s Women Cricket Team during tough years

India was crowned the champions of the ICC Women's ODI World Cup on Sunday and the country has finally seemed to take notice of women in cricket. For decades, women's sport and cricket in India have struggled in the darkness of negligence. Lack of funds, facilities and support made playing cricket a lonely battle for the sportswomen.

However, there was one messiah who stood by the Women's Cricket Team during the toughest times and helped them with donation and sponsorship in the early 2000s. This was none other than Mandira Bedi.

Mandira Bedi stood by the Indian Women’s Cricket Team when there was no support

Bollywood actor Mandira Bedi is a known face to cricket fans as a cricket broadcaster. She became the secret sponsor of the women's team between 2003 and 2005.

Mandira Bedi helped the cricket team raise money to help fund travel and other expenses that they otherwise struggled to secure. The actor even sponsored the women's team's plane tickets to England by waiving her own endorsement fee completely that she was due to receive after shooting a commercial for Asmi Jewellery.

Mandira Bedi made it possible for the Indian Women's team to travel to England for an international tour after she donated her earnings to the Women’s Cricket Association of India (WCAI) which was formed in 1973.

The former secretary of WCAI, Nutan Gavaskar had shared the severe financial constraints that the women's team had to go through before BCCI took charge. Nutan talked about how the players played "for the sheer love of the game" and went on to share Mandira Bedi's role in going out of her way to help the women.

Nutan Gavaskar said, "On [one] occasion, we had Mandira Bedi, who shot a commercial for a famous diamond brand. The entire endorsement fee she received, she donated to the WCAI. That money helped us arrange air tickets for India’s tour of England".

This was not the only time Mandira Bedi stood beside the Indian Women's Cricket team. She made it her mission to make sure the women's game is supported as well as promoted. Between 2003 and 2005, she used her connections to bring in sponsorships from big companies that helped the team financially.

Former WCAI secretary, Subhangi Kulkarni, who also played for the team said, "It was very difficult to get sponsors in the last few years. But once Mandira took up our cause, other corporates began to show interest. She came to watch a match, and we told her, 'You have done so much for men’s cricket — why not do something for us?'. She took it up earnestly and soon began approaching sponsors".

Mandira Bedi, through her persistent efforts, helped women's cricket at a time no one cared about it. She became one of the first celebrities to show consistent support to the women's sport in the country, helping it gain visibility.

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