Ladies go ahead
As a devoted follower of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), llen Abhishek makes sure to stay through the whole game every time the team plays in the finals. He carried out a similar action on Sunday night when the RCB women’s side defeated Delhi Capitals by eight wickets to win the Women’s Premier League (WPL) for the first time. The victory was noteworthy because it ended a nearly 16-year curse. But what was different about Abhishek’s experience this time? “As soon as we find out the team is losing, we usually skip the post-match presentation. We hope that no other team will be lifting.
the mug. We witnessed the victory moment for the first time and have been watching it again ever since to relive the thrill,” adds an overcome Abhishek.
For many RCB supporters, including him, the victory is monumental; this feeling was palpable throughout Bengaluru’s streets. “I went to Church Street after the game and saw people dancing and hugging each other,” recalls Abhishek, who is also one of the co-founders of the fan website RCB fan army.
Geeta Parthasarathi, who has been an advocate for women’s cricket since the 1970s, is ecstatic with RCB’s victory. “Women’s cricket has arrived, and recent performances have shown that their ability and abilities rival, if not surpass, those of the Indian men’s side. It’s a fantastic inspiration for other female cricket players to pursue the sport professionally. It’s a significant turning point in the history of women’s cricket, remarks Parthasarathi, who remembers the early campaigns to advance the sport.
For Kannadigas, seeing RCB win the cup was a dream come true, and for off-spinner Chandu V of Karnataka, it was the same. “Every Karnataka cricket player has been waiting for this moment.” For all of us, this is incredibly important,” adds Chandu. She had a couple high moments in her cricket career throughout the competition. “Shreyanka Patil, our Karnataka hudugi, had an outstanding season and took home the Purple Cap for her 13 wickets. “Any player can have a wonderful moment right now,” she continues.
Actor Chaithra J Achar has been waiting for this day since she was a little girl, so for her, the victory is very meaningful. She remembers the moment when Ellyse Perry’s famous shot shattered a vehicle glass. With a grin, Achar adds, “I have grown up from a child to an adult hoping to see this day.” He continues, “Watching the men’s team not make it to the top has been very disappointing.” It’s a happy time when someone chooses the prize for us, then. I now hope that the men’s team wins the trophy as well, giving us a double victory.
