Pioneer of women's cricket in India Mahendra Kumar Sharma passes away in Pune

Mahendra Kumar Sharma who is known as one of the pioneers of women’s cricket in India breathed his last in Pune on Tuesday, November 8. Sharma was reportedly in his early 80s and was battling health issues for some time. He will be remembered for taking the initiative of encouraging women in the country to take up cricket as a professional sport.

Women’s cricket now is arguably getting its fair share of due, but it was Mahendra Kumar Sharma who had first laid a strong foundation when he registered the Women’s Cricket Association of India (WCAI). The WCAI was officially registered under the Societies Act in Lucknow.

Mr. Sharma set the foundation stone for women's cricket in the country: Shubhangi Kulkarni

"Mr Sharma set the foundation stone for women's cricket in the country. His efforts in setting up the WCAI and getting recognition from the world body - International Women's Cricket Council (IWCC) - as well as the Indian government was huge at the time,” said veteran India women’s all-rounder Shubhangi Kulkarni while speaking to ESPNcricinfo.

"He ensured players got the publicity they needed at the time. His passion and vision for women's cricket at a time when there was no money was unmatched. It started with him organising the first-ever women's nationals in India in 1973 as a three-team event. Then it grew to six, eight, and 14 teams. To start from there and then play a key role in bringing the World Cup was quite an achievement,” she added.

 The WCAI during its existence went on to host two Women’s World Cups. Meanwhile, it was the 1997 edition of the women’s quadrennial event that stood out from the rest as the final between arch-rivals Australia and England witnessed almost 80,000 fans in attendance.

 Apart from that, the Indian women’s cricket team also played their first-ever Test match in 1976 in Bangalore. Sharma had served as the founding secretary of the WCAI during its first five years of operation and was also in-charge when India had first hosted the Women’s World Cup in 1978.

At that time the cricketing body had no financial security and had to rely on the donations received from individuals and the government.

The Women’s Cricket Association of India was functional for over three decades before the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officially took over the administrative duties of managing women’s cricket in India in 2006.