Women’s cricket participation doubles in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh

Women's participation in cricket has doubled across India since 2020, according to a BBC-commissioned study. The survey also found significant growth in badminton, while experts at a Hyderabad panel discussed improved infrastructure, opportunities and the challenges women still face in sports.

Hyderabad: Women’s participation in cricket has doubled across India since 2020, according to a new large-scale study commissioned by the BBC and Collective Newsroom and conducted by Kantar in the country.

The findings were discussed at a panel hosted by Collective Newsroom’s Telugu team for BBC News Telugu, bringing together leading voices from sport, policy, media and research to examine the changing landscape of women’s sport in India.

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The study, conducted across 14 Indian states, found that the proportion of women who say they play cricket has increased from 5 per cent in 2020 to 10 per cent in 2026. Among young women aged 15-24, participation has grown even more sharply, rising from 6 per cent to 16 per cent.

In Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, women’s participation in cricket has doubled from 8 per cent to 16 per cent. Nearly 39 per cent of women in the two States now report participating in at least one sporting activity.

Badminton has also witnessed significant growth. In Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, the proportion of women playing badminton has tripled since 2020, increasing from 3 per cent to 9 per cent.

Rupa Jha, Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief, said: “The BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year (ISWOTY) is the only awards programme in the world dedicated exclusively to celebrating women athletes. When we spoke about women in India in the past, the conversation was often about the violence they faced or the challenges and hardships in their lives. But today, Indian women are achieving remarkable success in sports.”

A P Jithender Reddy, Advisor to State Government (Sports), informed the gathering that the Telangana government is giving high priority to sports and that indoor stadia were being constructed in every Assembly constituency. He said the government aimed to complete them by 2028.

“The State Government is keen to host two Olympic events in the 2036 edition,” he said.

Manasi Joshi, para-badminton champion, said that concerns around safety and inadequate facilities were once major barriers preventing women from excelling in sports. However, she noted that sports infrastructure has improved significantly in recent years.

“If I had not trained in Hyderabad, I would not have reached where I am today,” she said.

Manasi said opportunities should be created for everyone in society, including women, based on their age and talent.

Mrudula Korada said that there were very few facilities available for women athletes in the State in the past, but the situation had improved considerably.

Kiran Dembla said that women faced multiple challenges before they could succeed in sports, including family responsibilities, motherhood and social pressures.

Despite the progress, the research identified several persistent barriers. About 13 per cent of women who do not play sports cited safety concerns, while 65 per cent pointed to a lack of time. Interestingly, 43 per cent of respondents said women’s sport was less entertaining than men’s sport, and 46 per cent believed sportswomen should be attractive.