Walk past any society ground in India and you’ll find children playing cricket. Years ago, it was usually a group of boys, and a girl asking to join in was a rare sight. Ms Sudha Shah was one of those girls. She started out playing with the boys in her neighbourhood, and her love for the game took her all the way to India’s first-ever Test series against the West Indies in 1976. Today, she is recognised as one of the pioneers of Indian women’s cricket.

Fifty years after that historic beginning, Ms Shah’s story remains one of hard work, perseverance and determination. She has watched the sport transform over the decades and looks back on the journey with immense pride.

“It gives a lot of satisfaction that we did pursue cricket at that time despite all the difficulties we faced, be it on the field or off the field,” Ms Shah told BCCI.tv. “We did toil, and to see the game where it is today gives you the satisfaction that what we did at that time hasn’t gone in vain. Cricket has got to a point today where we are right on top of the world, and that really gives such a lot of satisfaction.”

Indian women’s international cricket began on 31 October 1976, in Bangalore, with a six-match Test series against the West Indies. Yet, the memory she holds closest is of the victory in the Test at Patna later in the series. What stays with her most vividly is the extraordinary crowd support.

“In Patna, the thing I remember most about the Test we won is the crowd,” Ms Shah recalled. “Every day, there was a crowd of nearly 20,000 to 30,000. After we won, they lined up on either side of the road, and when our bus went to where we were staying, it was like we were superstars. We had never even dreamt of experiencing something like that.”

India’s first-ever Test victory brought joy that the team could hardly contain. The scenes in the dressing room afterwards remain etched in her memory.

“We had to wave to the crowd from the balcony because they just weren’t leaving. All of us were screaming and jumping around, and Sharmila Chakraborty broke the basin in the dressing room bathroom! We just couldn’t believe that we had won a Test match,” she added.

Ms Shah went on to represent India in international cricket for 15 years, becoming an important member of the side. A right-handed batter who could also bowl useful off-spin, she played 21 Tests, scoring 601 runs and taking five wickets, and also represented India in 13 ODIs. She holds the record for the second-most consecutive appearances in Women’s Tests, with 21 successive matches. However, for her and her teammates, the numbers always came second to the privilege of representing India. 

“In those days, when we played, we just played,” she explained. “Nobody thought of records or breaking records. We played a lot of games that were later classified as unofficial. Out of 35, only 21 are official. But believe me, we took it in our stride.”

Her love for the game began at an early age, and her family stood firmly behind her. Her father encouraged both her and her sister to play, which was unusual at a time when cricket was widely perceived as a gentleman’s game.

The challenges of those early days, when securing grounds and funding was a constant struggle, stand in stark contrast to the professional environment that exists today. Since women’s cricket came under the BCCI’s umbrella, the Board has developed a professional ecosystem with improved facilities, greater financial security and stronger infrastructure. Equal match fees for women and men have further transformed the landscape of the game.

“At that time, we faced a lot of difficulties with finances and getting grounds, but we took it in our stride. If you had told me 50 years ago that girls would be making cricket a career, I wouldn’t have believed it. At that time, we played purely for the love of the game. I never imagined that they would be getting paid and that the game would come this far. So, credit goes to the BCCI.”

In 2018, Ms Shah received the BCCI Lifetime Achievement Award, recognising her contribution to Indian cricket and that of her generation.

“It is a great honour,” she said of the recognition. “To be acknowledged for the years we put in validates the fact that our early efforts laid a strong foundation for the game.”

After her playing career, Ms Shah moved into coaching. As India’s national coach, she guided the team to its first-ever Women’s World Cup final in 2005. Given the limited resources available to the team at the time, reaching the final was a significant achievement.

“In 2003, we started working towards the World Cup in 2005. When we won the semi-final, we celebrated as if we had won the World Cup,” Ms Shah recalled. “It was a great achievement, considering the facilities the girls have today and what we had at that time.”

The 2005 campaign ended in heartbreak, but the dream finally came true two decades later at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025. Ms Shah was determined to be present for the final, although she almost missed it because of her local association’s elections. After casting her vote, she rushed to the airport for a late-afternoon flight, worried that she might miss the action. Fortunately, rain delayed the start of the match at the DY Patil Stadium.

“When I entered DY Patil through the gate, I could hear the national anthem being played, and I said, ‘Today’s my day', As India lifted the coveted trophy in front of a packed crowd in Navi Mumbai, the historic moment brought tears to her eyes.

“When we won, I had tears in my eyes, and I rushed to the ground. I said, ‘No, I’m not sitting in the stands.’ We went onto the ground, and Harman [Harmanpreet Kaur] came and gave me the trophy.”

For Ms Shah, being handed the trophy by the Indian captain meant a great deal. Harmanpreet had made her international debut during Ms Shah’s tenure as coach, making the moment feel like a full-circle experience.

“When she [Harmanpreet] gave me that trophy, I thought, ‘Boy, I never ever dreamt that I would hold it.’ But it felt so good,” she recalled fondly. “The only regret I had was that I was so excited that I didn’t have the presence of mind to get a photograph taken!”

While Ms Shah considers the 2025 triumph the high point, she believes the groundwork for the current popularity of women’s cricket was arguably laid during the 2017 World Cup. India lost a closely contested final that year, but the campaign sparked a wave of interest across the country. The players became household names, and perceptions of women’s cricket began to change.

The current generation has witnessed remarkable growth, supported in large part by the BCCI’s efforts to strengthen the women’s game. This progress was also evident in India’s historic Test victory at Lord’s, a result that filled the pioneers with pride. Ms Shah was among those delighted by the achievement.

“We were very happy. It was so good,” she said of the landmark victory in England. “We have been playing very few Tests, but we have been managing to win those Test matches, and that is very commendable.

Test cricket has always held a special place in Ms Shah’s heart. She believes the format truly tests a cricketer’s character and hopes that the current generation gets more opportunities to play it.

“I think Test cricket really tests the character of a cricketer,” she asserted. “We lived on Test cricket. The present generation thrives on T20 and 50-over cricket, but when it comes to Test cricket, we have been playing well, and that really augurs well for women’s cricket. I think the girls should be playing more Test matches.”

The Women’s Premier League (WPL) has also made a significant difference, transforming the domestic game and bringing it closer to international standards. Reflecting on its impact, Ms Shah said:

“Thanks to the WPL, our domestic players have gained good exposure. Sharing the dressing room with foreign players, rubbing shoulders with them and observing their routines closely has made a great difference. Today, the youngsters are playing much more fearless cricket, and their confidence has grown.”

As Indian women’s cricket marks its 50th anniversary, the future looks exceptionally bright. India is set to host the inaugural ICC Women’s Champions Trophy in 2027 and according to Ms Shah the widespread broadcasting of such global events on home soil is a game-changer for grassroots cricket. 

“Today, with all these tournaments being televised, even if young girls are not able to get to the grounds, they are watching, and that itself makes a big difference," she reflected. "Having these ICC tournaments held here increases the interest, and a lot more girls are coming forward to play. I can see the difference from 15 or 20 years back when it was more of an elimination than a proper selection for our state sides. Now, there are thousands of girls coming to play, and that is a massive boost.”

Ms Shah summed up the journey with a sense of pride. “To see cricket grow and reach where it is today gives us a feeling of pride. We are sort of living through them now, sharing in their victories and the matches they are playing and winning. It feels like we are a part of it, and we are really happy.”

By Anubhav .P. Talukdar