On 3 October, 2024, the Canberra Indian Council organised its first multicultural T20 girls cricket competition to support the future generation of female cricketers.
Promoting Inclusivity
In the spirit of the 2024 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, the Canberra Indian Council hosted a cricket competition at the Bonner Oval in Gungahlin.
The council invited the local community to cheer on the next generation of female players and promote inclusivity.
Deepak Gupta, patron of the Canberra Indian Council, said he was impressed with the event turnout.
“I am happy to see the community come together for a sport we all love. It shows our power to celebrate diversity,” he said.
The Council collaborated with the Indian Australian Multicultural Sports Association (IAMSA) to organise the competition.
The two teams who usually play with IAMSA brought the community together to support women in cricket.
“We were also proud to see important leaders support female participation in one of our most loved sports,” Deepak said.
First Innings
The match started with the Cricket Divas fielding against the Rising Rebels.
The crowd was mostly filled with parents proud to see their girls dominate the field.
Other event goers were excited to watch a cricket match at their neighbouring oval.
As the Rising Rebels hit fours and sixes, the crowd roared.
The DJ played a mashup of Bollywood songs to entertain the cricket fans.
The bass of the speakers vibrated through the field, giving the girls a confident boost.
Rising Rebels hit another six and the crowd cheered louder.
Defying Stereotypes
After the first inning, the crowd moved to the picnic area.
As the girls discussed their game strategy, they re-energised with some pizza.
A male cricket team from IAMSA, who were training on the field, joined the community to watch the game.
One of the parents, Meeta Dev, said she was happy to see the community support the girls.
“They are not here to play like professionals but it is important to encourage them,” she said.
“My daughter loves cricket. We support her so she can break the stereotype that only boys can play well.”
Second Inning
While the crowd proceeded back to the field, the second inning started and the Cricket Divas prepared to bat.
The Cricket Divas huddled together and warned each other of who to look out for.
The girls’ voices grew louder and their expressions reflected their determination to beat the score set by the Rising Rebels.
The Cricket Divas got the crowd on their feet as they began to score more runs.
Sanjay Sharma, president of the Canberra Indian Council, acted as the referee for the match.
As one of the girl’s inched closer to the wickets, Sanjay Sharma grabbed a microphone and announced the winners.
“Rising Rebels scored 52 runs but Cricket Divas have chased successfully, scoring 54 runs to win the game,” he said.
With the backdrop of the sunset, the winners stood with their trophies as the parents took photos.
The competition successfully garnered community support to inspire the future generation of female cricketers.