By ATISH [ANW]
November 6, 2025
Mandira Bedi shines on screen. She acts. She hosts. She broke barriers as one of the first women cricket anchors on TV. But her real power was behind the scenes. From 2003 to 2005, she became the secret backbone of Indian women’s cricket. No big board. No sponsors. Just Mandira. She gave her full endorsement fee to the team. She called brands. She made trips happen. “The money I would have taken for my endorsement will go towards the cricket sponsorship,” she told The Telegraph India back then. Her words were simple. Her action changed lives.
Women’s cricket in India started small. The Women’s Cricket Association of India (WCAI) ran the show from 1973 to 2006. No funds. No flights. Players paid their own way. Nutan Gavaskar, a WCAI leader, saw the struggle. “We lived on love for the game,” she said. Then Mandira stepped in. She shot a commercial for Asmi Jewellery. A big diamond brand. She could have kept the cash. Instead, she handed it over. That money bought air tickets for England tour. The team flew. They played. They grew.
Mandira did not stop. She watched matches. She listened to players. “You have done so much for men’s cricket — why not do something for us?” a player asked her. Mandira replied, “There is another sponsor lined up for the next series.” She meant it. She used her name. Doors opened. Shubhangi Kulkarni, former player and WCAI secretary, saw the shift. “Mandira took up our cause earnestly,” she said. One star’s voice brought many brands.
Mandira faced storms too. People mocked her on TV. “A woman can’t talk cricket,” they said. She ignored them. She kept talking. She kept giving. Her support was more than money. It was belief. Players felt valued. “It gave us approval from media and advertisers,” one said. Mandira never bragged. She just worked. Quiet. Steady. Strong.
Years rolled on. The team rose. In 2025, India won the Women’s World Cup. Fireworks. Tears. Joy. Mandira watched from home. She wrote a note by hand and shared it online: “You didn’t play for a nation, you moved it.” She added, “This is a shift in the heartbeat of every little girl who will now dream without apology.” She posted a clip from Chak De! India. The song played. The message hit deep.
Today, women cricketers earn big. From ₹1,000 match fees to ₹51 crore prizes. The journey began in darkness. One woman lit the way. Mandira Bedi. She didn’t need a trophy. She built the stage for others to win one. “I did it because they deserved it,” she once said in a rare interview. America News World salutes her. Not for fame. For courage. For kindness. For changing cricket — and dreams — forever.