Sachin Tendulkar: WPL to take women’s cricket to different level by opening doors for young girls

Ahead of his 50th birthday, Sachin Tendulkar sat down with  Sportstar for a candid interview.

Published : Apr 24, 2023 10:14 IST , Mumbai - 2 MINS READ

Sachin Tendulkar and Harmanpreet Kaur, captain of the Mumbai Indians’ women’s team, pose for a photo at Wankhede Stadium.
Sachin Tendulkar and Harmanpreet Kaur, captain of the Mumbai Indians’ women’s team, pose for a photo at Wankhede Stadium. | Photo Credit: ANI
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Sachin Tendulkar and Harmanpreet Kaur, captain of the Mumbai Indians’ women’s team, pose for a photo at Wankhede Stadium. | Photo Credit: ANI

In a special interview with Sportstar ahead of his 50 th birthday, Sachin Tendulkar spoke about the changes he wanted to see in Indian cricket, specifically mentioning Women’s Premier League as one of his most desired developments. “I think we are heading in the right direction. The big change that I had wanted to happen — equal opportunities — has already begun with the WPL, that too in grand style,” he said.  

Talking about the time when he went to Ahmedabad to felicitate the Under-19 girls’ team, he spoke about his meeting with Jay Shah and Roger Binny, the BCCI secretary and president respectively. “I told them that that it’s brilliant that the WPL is being introduced. It’s going to take women’s cricket to a different level by opening the doors for so many young girls.”

WATCH: It’s a fifty for Sachin Tendulkar!

Sachin, who had always expressed his wish to see a domestic tournament for women, was left surprised by the standard of play exhibited by the Indian cricketers in WPL. “Their athleticism was a pleasant sight to watch. I was really pleasantly surprised with the way they fielded and threw themselves on the field. I didn’t expect this level and full marks to them,” said Sachin, adding, “Somewhere you need leaders to emulate, and younger generations can watch all these women compete in a fair manner, but at a very high level.”

Check out the full interview with Sachin Tendulkar here:

However, the sporting icon wishes to see the same change in the rest of the country too, and not limited to cricket alone. “This change I am seeing — equality — should happen not only in cricket but also in our country and beyond, plus in all professions and walks of life. Equality has multiple layers, in opportunity and freedom to express yourself on various platforms. Being gender neutral is something that will give everyone a reason to smile.”

Click here to read the full interview.

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