Published: Feb 18, 2011, 11:13 AM (IST)
Edited: Jul 02, 2014, 11:20 AM (IST)
By Tejaswini Tirta
I love cricket! And, yes, I’m a woman!
We always think that we’re fast moving into an open-minded, woman-liberated world where all is well between the genders. Not entirely. Not in the cricket world at least. It was assumed that the Mandira Bedis and Lekha Washingtons had, over time, triggered an interest in the sport among the lady folks. But I, for one, am yet to meet a man or woman, who doesn’t give me a “raised-eyebrow” look when I tell them that I’m a huge cricket fan the first time.
Now that the World Cup is round the corner, which will be followed by IPL4, I’ve taken it upon myself to spread the cricket fever among those women who are yet to be bitten (or smitten) by it. Don’t worry! I’m not going to give you a crash course on the game itself. Instead, I’m going to list out the benefits of being a woman and a cricket fan, this time of the year.
Here goes:
It’s fun unlimited…
Let’s face it, gals! An entire country wouldn’t drop all that they’re doing to watch something that’s “not exciting”. All the jazz about the game bringing people together, is true! Kedarnath was freezing at four degrees Celsius when India beat Pakistan in the first T20 World Cup final. There was one TV set connected in a shop, in the only bazaar in Kedarnath, in front of the temple. Everyone was there. I mean, everyone – tourists, locals, et al. We cheered, we danced, we celebrated and for that moment we forgot all about the cold. Now, just imagine a small part of this kind of euphoria being the mood of your home every single day for the next three months!
It makes a great impression…
You love cricket and you’ll be a huge hit with your partner (boyfriend or husband); his friends/ boss; and your kids. It’s a great conversation starter. When in a party, you can slowly stroll away from the “ladies’ side” of the room to the men’s when you over hear them talking cricket and make one significant statement: “I hope Yuvraj gets back to being his old self in time for the World Cup” or “It’s really sad that great likes Ganguly and Lara didn’t get picked by any of the franchisee at the IPL 4 auction”. Trust me, your admiration/ respect meter will immediately shoot up a few notches! Your man, too, who will then show off that he has no problems staying glued to the TV when a match is on.
It’s time well spent with the family…
If you were looking at ways to spend quality time with friends and family, look no further. In the cricket world, a family that watches a match together, eats together, and cheers together, stays together! And if you’re a first-time fan, your partner will go to great lengths to teach you about the game and love you more for showing an interest. Also, a “finish your homework and I’ll let you watch the match with dad” incentive always gives you great results. What’s more, if India wins, he’ll be on a high for at least the next couple of days!
You won’t have to play host…
I know most women complain when there’s a match on, because they’ll invariably end up playing hostess to a room full of cricket lovers. If, however, you are part of this gang, you can simply demand that the food be ordered from outside or everyone contributes to the process before the match starts.
Convinced? Let’s get down to some serious cricket talk then!
(Bangalore-based Tejaswini Tirta spent the first eight years of her career in mainstream media, having worked with leading dailies like Times of India, The New Indian Express and Asian Age, tracking new trends in the film, fashion, theater and gaming industries. A couple of years ago, she was bitten by the corporate bug, but tried to keep the journalist in her alive by grabbing every writing opportunity that came her way. Her other interests include reading, music, watching movies, traveling, F1 racing and of course, cricket)
