Mumbai : BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia hopes the Women in Blue finally break the jinx and lift their maiden ICC title as they gear up for the ICC Women’s World Cup starting September 30. Moreover, he revealed that Assam’s cricketing body, in association with the Indian cricket board, will host an opening ceremony in Guwahati before India’s World Cup opener against Sri Lanka.
Saikia not only wished the Indian women’s team luck but also praised their recent performances against Australia at home and England away. While India clinched the T20I and ODI series in England, they narrowly lost the ODI series against Australia 2-1 despite leveling it with a strong win in the second game.
The BCCI secretary further reviewed India’s progress, emphasizing how far the women’s team has come.
“You saw how keenly contested the series was. Australia won 2-1, yet India played extremely well. They almost chased 412 but fell short by a few runs. In one match, India won handsomely by 102 runs, whereas in the other, they lost by eight wickets. This shows parity between India and Australia. Although Australia remains one of the best women’s teams, India is clearly catching up,” Saikia told reporters on Sunday after filing his nomination at the BCCI headquarters.
He also stressed the significance of the upcoming World Cup.
“India has never won an ICC Women’s Trophy. Therefore, this World Cup is a big opportunity. Since matches are being held in India and Sri Lanka, the entire nation is backing our team. Recently, they beat England in England, which was a remarkable achievement. Thus, Indian women’s cricket has come of age, and I am sure they will deliver a remarkable performance. I hope the jinx is broken this time,” Saikia said.
Additionally, Saikia offered condolences on the passing of singer Zubeen Garg and announced a special tribute during the World Cup opener in Guwahati.
“This is the first time Guwahati will host the ICC Women’s World Cup. The opening match between India and Sri Lanka will feature an opening ceremony. Since Zubeen Garg, Assam’s musical icon, passed away recently, the Assam Cricket Association, along with the BCCI, will organise a tribute program,” he said.
Furthermore, he confirmed that “a 40-minute tribute will honor Zubeen Garg. Shreya Ghoshal has already confirmed her participation. Before the match, the tribute will take place, and during the mid-innings break, Shreya will perform 4-5 of her top hits along with the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 theme song.”
— IANS
