Women's cricket outshining men's, says former captain Sourav Ganguly

Former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly has expressed his belief that women's cricket in India has made more significant strides in growth and popularity than their male counterparts since 2019. Ganguly based his argument on various factors, including the establishment of the Women's Premier League, the emergence of talented players like Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana, and the impressive performance of the women's team in global events.

"The progress the women’s cricket in India has made since 2019 is, perhaps, more than the men’s team. The men’s team has always been very good. But from where the women’s team was to where they went—from winning the Asia Cup to the way they played in the World Cups. They were the best team in the Commonwealth Games (runners-up in 2022)," Ganguly told Jio Cinema.

Ganguly specifically highlighted the achievements of key players such as Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Richa, Jemimah, and Shafali, acknowledging their impressive progression in the sport. He also praised the development of young pacer Renuka Singh Thakur, who has filled the gap left by the retirement of veteran seamer Jhulan Goswami.

"When Jhulan (Goswami) finished, we thought where the next seamer would come from, and then Renuka (Singh) Thakur has developed over the last three years. So, that’s the best thing about women’s cricket," said Ganguly, who is currently the Director of Cricket at the Delhi Capitals.

Ganguly expressed his delight over the recent Women's Premier League (WPL) auction, where the Delhi Capitals successfully acquired some promising Indian players. He particularly highlighted the strategic acquisitions of players like Ashwani Kumari and Annabel Sutherland.

"I think Ashwani Kumari is someone who they (DC) kept an eye on because she can hit the ball a long way and she bowls. We needed a back-up keeper, so we got another keeper. We had three slots to fill, we knew one will always be the most important one and we got (Annabel) Sutherland," said Ganguly.

The Delhi Capitals secured Australian cricketer Annabel Sutherland for Rs 2 crore in the recent player auction held in Mumbai, a move Ganguly believes will strengthen the team's overall performance.