Vadodara Academies Flooded with Inquiries for Girls' Cricket

The past week has been a whirlwind for Vadodara's cricket community, as the Indian women's team's World Cup victory has sparked a surge of interest in the sport among young girls and their parents. Harendra Patel, who runs the Vadodara Cricket Academy, says his phone has been ringing off the hook with inquiries from eager prospective players and their families.

"A few years ago, parents hesitated to send their daughters even for training. Cricket wasn't seen as a lucrative career because the money was limited. The World Cup win has completely changed that. Now, parents themselves are calling to inquire about coaching for their daughters," Patel told TOI.

This sentiment is echoed by other coaches and club owners across Gujarat. Hitesh Majmudar, the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) director and state team coach, believes the impact of the women's World Cup triumph will be as transformative for the sport as the men's 1983 World Cup win. "What the 1983 World Cup win did for men's cricket, this title will do for women's cricket," he said.

Pankaj Jani, the owner of Shreyas Cricket Academy, one of Vadodara's oldest clubs, has also witnessed a surge in interest from parents of girls studying at the academy. "The attention India's World Cup win got has transformed perceptions. Our girl students now hang around the academy to watch others play," he said.

The growing interest in women's cricket is not limited to Vadodara. Coaches in Ahmedabad, such as Tarak Trivedi and Kalpesh Patadiwal, have also reported a noticeable spike in inquiries from young girls wanting to play the sport professionally in the past few days.