Just a day after fans in Mumbai celebrated India’s remarkable Women’s World Cup victory, Chaya Mughal, the Women’s Development Cricket Officer at the Emirates Cricket Board, was warmly greeted by her enthusiastic students in Dubai.
“These young girls, eager to play cricket, were so motivated by India’s success that they hugged me before our session began,” Mughal shared.
“Their excitement was palpable. They said, ‘We want to achieve something like this too.’
“The performance of their heroes was deeply inspiring to them. As children of Indian expatriates, they felt a strong connection.”
Mughal, a former UAE women’s national team captain from Indian-administered Kashmir, recognized that the impact of the team led by Harmanpreet Kaur will extend beyond Indian communities abroad.
“The victory will have a significant influence, not just on players of Indian descent, but on UAE cricket as a whole because the atmosphere created, with 45,000 fans attending women’s matches, was unprecedented in India,” she explained.
“I believe it will greatly boost girls’ participation in UAE cricket, especially as India became the first Asian team to win the Women’s World Cup. It’s a groundbreaking, historic achievement.”
While India’s triumph over South Africa made international headlines, the UAE women’s team quietly made history by defeating Zimbabwe in their ODI debut last month.
“Their victory against Zimbabwe in their first ODI series marked a historic moment for women’s cricket in the UAE. It proves that such achievements are possible for associate teams,” she noted.
Mughal, who moved to Dubai in 2010 to teach and later significantly advanced women’s cricket there, now envisions a promising future for the sport.
“I’m now very optimistic that cricket will continue to thrive here (in the UAE) following India’s win. More girls will be encouraged to pursue the sport,” she stated.
Veteran Dubai cricket coach Gopal Jasapara has already observed the influence of India’s victory.
Gopal Jasapara, the head coach of Dubai’s G Force Cricket Academy, was organizing a tour to India for his women’s team.
“Some parents had already agreed to send their girls, but after India’s World Cup win last Sunday, I’ve been inundated with messages from many more parents eager to join,” Jasapara revealed.
The G Force team is now set to showcase their talent against age group teams in Gujarat next month, competing in 40 and 20 overs formats.
Fourteen-year-old Diva Singh, a batting all-rounder, can’t wait to fly to India.
“I’ve never been on a cricket tour before, so I’m really excited. It’s a fantastic chance to play against strong teams (in India) and learn from them,” she expressed.
Another young cricketer eager to play in India is 13-year-old Saloni Hardik Pandya.
“Playing against top junior teams in India will be incredible, especially after India’s World Cup victory,” she said.
“Their win has inspired me, and now I dream of lifting the Cup myself one day!”
