N Srinivasan, former president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), had quite a controversial stint at the top job. He had to step down from the position after the 2014 Indian Premier League (IPL) betting scandal. During his reign at the top position, Srinivasan’s chauvinist stand against women’s cricket was known to some, especially to former Indian women’s team captain Diana Edulji. As the Harmanpreet Kaur-led Indian women’s side clinched the ODI World Cup title on Sunday, Edulji’s revelation on Srinivasan’s stand on women’s cricket resurfaced on social media.
“When Mr. Srinivasan became president, I went to congratulate him at the Wankhede Stadium. He said, ‘If I had my way, I wouldn’t let women’s cricket happen.’ He hates women’s cricket,” Edulji had said in 2017 after India’s Women’s ODI World Cup final heartbreak.
“I’ve always been a BCCI basher, right from the day women’s cricket came under the BCCI fold in 2006. BCCI is a very male-chauvinist organisation. They never wanted women to dictate terms or get into this space. I was very vocal right from my playing days,” the former cricketer had further said.
i hope you witnessed history and may you cry all night, Mr. Srinivasan pic.twitter.com/tcQkTDYqLG
— sir jacob bethell (@bet_helll) November 2, 2025
Congress – Srinivasan BJP – Jay shah pic.twitter.com/WKmYbp7q5k
— Rohith (@rohithverse) November 3, 2025
Indian women’s cricket took reformative steps, especially after Jay Shah was named the BCCI secretary. From the introduction of the Women’s Premier League to equal match fee for women’s cricketers, the last few years have seen the Indian board push women’s cricket to achieve its true potential.
After the Women’s World Cup final win, India captain Harmanpreet Kaur also seemed to have taken a swipe at those who doubted the team over the years.
“I think criticism is also a part of life. It’s not necessary that everything should be good,” she told reporters after the game.
“Criticism is one of the main things in life because it brings balance. Otherwise, if everything goes well, you’ll be overconfident. I don’t blame those who criticise, because we know when we aren’t doing something right.
Harmanpreet’s position as India’s captain was also questioned after the team suffered three consecutive defeats in the league stage. But, she ensured the players bounced back and delivered their best in the knockout stages.
“I don’t have much to say, but I like to keep both things balanced. When good things happen, I don’t go too high; when bad things happen, I don’t dig deep.
“For me, the most important thing is to stay balanced, and I try to send the same message to my teammates. When everything is going well – it’s okay, well done, but now we have to maintain it. And even when things aren’t going well, we try to keep everyone together so that we can lift that person up.”