The Indian women’s cricket team is the biggest topic of discussion at the moment but before India’s women cricketers lifted the 2025 World Cup trophy and set social media ablaze with celebrations, there was another woman who quietly paved the way for moments like this. We are talking about none other than Mandira Bedi.
Known to millions as the first woman to host the ICC Cricket World Cup, she broke barriers in a world that wasn’t ready for her. When she appeared on cricket broadcasts in the early 2000s, she faced intense scrutiny, often being dismissed by critics who believed she didn’t belong in a male-dominated space. Yet Mandira Bedi never backed down. She prepared meticulously, learned the game inside out and turned every sneer into respect. By doing so, she didn’t just host cricket, she helped change how people saw women in the sport.
But Mandira’s role went beyond television screens. At a time when India’s women cricket team struggled even to afford air tickets for international tours, she stepped in with real help. Nutan Gavaskar, a former cricketer, once recalled that the Women’s Cricket Association of India (WCAI) barely had funds to send players abroad because the sport wasn’t recognised professionally. Despite being a household name in entertainment, Mandira chose to use her fame for something meaningful.
Nutan revealed that Mandira Bedi had done a commercial for a well-known diamond brand and donated her entire endorsement fee to the WCAI. That generous act helped the women’s team travel to England for an important tour, a gesture that went far beyond charity, it was belief in a cause that few were paying attention to. Mandira herself once mentioned that she preferred her endorsement money to support cricket sponsorships rather than personal gain.
According to Shubhangi Kulkarni, the WCAI secretary at the time, Mandira Bedi’s public backing encouraged more brands and sponsors to start taking women’s cricket seriously, marking the start of a slow but significant shift in attitude.
Years later, as India’s women lifted their first ever World Cup in Mumbai, Mandira Bedi was among the many who celebrated the moment deeply. On Instagram, she shared a heartfelt handwritten note, saying that the team hadn’t just played for the country, they had moved it. She wrote about once standing on the sidelines of women’s cricket, watching its quiet strength and expressed pride at how the same spirit had now inspired an entire nation.
From facing prejudice on live television to funding flights for struggling players, Mandira Bedi’s journey shows that some victories begin long before the final whistle. The women’s World Cup triumph may belong to Harmanpreet Kaur and her team but its roots stretch back to people like Mandira Bedi who believed in women’s cricket when few else did.
