Mahendra Kumar Sharma: The Unsung Pioneer Who Built the Foundation of Indian Women’s Cricket
Introduction
In the tapestry of Indian cricket, much has been written about the stalwarts of the men’s game. But behind the rise of the women’s game in India stands a quiet, determined figure: Mahendra Kumar Sharma. At a time when women’s cricket was barely visible in the country, Sharma’s vision and labour laid the foundation for what would become the India women’s national cricket team—and ultimately a thriving segment of Indian sport. His story is one of passion, persistence and going door-to-door to make change happen.
Early Life & Inspiration
Born in Lucknow and raised in the New Hyderabad area of the city, Sharma was deeply connected to sport at a grassroots level. His early exposure included organising school and college–level softball and handball tournaments for girls. As the official narrative goes, he witnessed a group of girls at a railway station playing with a softball bat after their train was delayed—and this sparked something in him: if they could improvise and enjoy the game, why not formalise women’s cricket? (Wikipedia)
At that time, Indian women’s cricket lacked structure, recognition or organised competition. Domestic opportunities were almost non-existent, and the idea of a national governing body dedicated to women was revolutionary. Undeterred by social indifference or logistical challenges, Sharma stepped in with conviction.
Foundation of the Women’s Cricket Association of India (WCAI)
In 1973, Sharma spearheaded the registration of the Women’s Cricket Association of India (WCAI) under the Societies Act in Lucknow, marking a watershed moment for Indian sport. (Wikipedia) He assumed the role of founding secretary, while Begum Hamida Habibullah served as the first president. (The Better India)
What makes this feat remarkable is that Sharma did not merely press a button and declare the formation of the body: he went into the field, travelling by auto‐rickshaw with a microphone, announcing matches and events and persuading local schools and colleges to support women’s cricket. (The Times of India) The first inter‐state tournament was held in April 1973 in Pune, organised by WCAI with Sharma at the helm. (Wikipedia)
By securing affiliation with the International Women’s Cricket Council in the same year, WCAI positioned Indian women’s cricket on the global stage. (The Better India)
The Challenges and Early Initiatives
The obstacles were huge: limited funding, minimal societal recognition, negligible media attention, infrastructural constraints and prevailing mindset that cricket was a “male sport”. Sharma’s response was hands-on and often personal. Beyond organising tournaments, he contributed from his own pocket, mobilised volunteers, drafted schedules, booked grounds, and travelled to spread awareness. (Facebook)
For example, one account notes that he used an auto-rickshaw in Lucknow, with a loudspeaker, asking girls and their families to attend women’s cricket matches. (The Times of India)
Yet despite odds, WCAI under Sharma’s leadership achieved early milestones: India’s women’s team played its first Test match in 1976, hosted tours by international sides, and played in the women’s cricket world stage. (Hindustan Times)
Impact and Legacy
Sharma’s legacy is best measured in the opportunities that followed. The formation of WCAI provided a formal platform for women cricketers in India—for competitive play, state-level representation and national selection. Without that foundational body, the subsequent growth of the India women’s national team would have been far more difficult.
Over the years, WCAI organised numerous national championships, helped launch international tours, and ultimately the women’s game in India caught up. In 2006 the WCAI merged with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which then assumed full responsibility for women’s cricket in India. (Wikipedia)
His work also has symbolic value: it reframed the narrative that women’s sport need not be secondary; that grassroots initiative can effect structural change; that passionate individuals can catalyse institutional shifts.
Key Milestones under Sharma’s Era
- 1973: WCAI registered in Lucknow under Sharma’s leadership. (Wikipedia)
- 1973: WCAI obtains affiliation with International Women’s Cricket Council. (The Better India)
- 1976: India women play first Test match. (Hindustan Times)
- 1978: India hosts a women’s World Cup (India being the host nation). Sharma was in charge of hosting responsibilities. (ESPN Cricinfo)
- 2006: WCAI merged into BCCI; heavy institutional shift for women’s cricket. (Wikipedia)
Personality & Philosophical Approach
Sharma exemplified a grass-roots philosophy: starting from local communities, schools and colleges rather than waiting on major sponsors or government grants. He believed that the sport needed to be demonstrated—in small towns, in state cities, with visible participation of girls—so that the idea of women playing cricket became normalised.
He showed personal commitment (travel, marketing, outreach), organisational ability (registering a body, arranging matches), and visionary mindset (seeing that women’s cricket could be recognized nationally and internationally).
Later Life and Passing
Mahendra Kumar Sharma passed away in November 2022 at the age of 75. (The Times of India) His passing was recognised by newspapers and cricket publications as the loss of a pioneer. Stories of his earlier days—going around Lucknow with a loudspeaker, selling property or investing his own resources—were recalled as evidence of the struggle behind the present success of India’s women’s cricket. (The Better India)
Though he stepped down from the secretary role of WCAI in 1979, his influence continued through the infrastructure and momentum he created. (The Times of India)
Why His Contribution Matters Today
In 2025, the India women’s cricket team has achieved remarkable successes, garnered viewership, sponsorship and institutional backing. But such progress rests on early foundations. Without the WCAI and the early matches, tours and competitions that Sharma helped fashion, the pipeline of players, state-level teams, national tournaments might never have materialised as seamlessly.
His story also highlights a broader lesson in sport: equity doesn’t happen by default—it often requires someone willing to create the platform, battle cultural inertia and create systems. For women in India who pick up the bat today, those stepping out into school-level tournaments, club cricket, state sides—they owe a debt to the foundational work of pioneers like Sharma.
Reflection
While Mahendra Kumar Sharma may not be a household name compared to star cricketers, his legacy is embedded in every women’s cricket match played in India today. The fact that a society once disinterested in women’s sport now fields world-class women cricketers is testament to his early efforts.
For students of sports history, gender equity or Indian cricket, his story is also a case study in how change is often incremental, local and driven by individuals quietly determined. His work reminds us that major achievements (like World Cup finals, international tours) often have humble origins—a few girls playing softball, a motivated organiser with a mic, a temporary ground, a first inter-state match.
Conclusion
Mahendra Kumar Sharma’s contribution to Indian women’s cricket is both foundational and enabling. By establishing the Women’s Cricket Association of India in 1973, forging the institutional path for women’s participation in cricket, advocating at a time when few were listening, and mobilising resources and community support, he created the stepping-stones for today’s generation of Indian women cricketers. His legacy stands not just in tournaments or records, but in the opportunity and normalisation of women playing cricket in India. A pioneer in its truest sense, his life-work continues to echo in the chants of spectators, the crack of the bat, the stride of women cricketers across India.
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