Harmanpreet Kaur Not Surprised By Women Players’ Sudden Popularity On Social Media
Jul 6, 2017 at 12:32 PM
India women’s team star Harmanpreet Kaur has said that the sudden popularity of her along with her teammates on social media has not surprised her.
Mithali Raj & Co. are on a roll in the ongoing ICC Women’s World Cup and are carving their own niche among the cricket-obsessed Indian fans. The team has defeated hosts England, World T20 champions West Indies, Pakistan and Sri Lanka and are firmly in line to qualify for the semifinal. And their brilliant performances on the field have made them a star on the social media.
One can take a measure of how popular the women cricketers have become from the recent rise in their profile on social media. India skipper Mithali Raj had only 3000 followers on Twitter before the start of the tournament, but now the number has gone past 50,000. Similarly, Smriti Mandhana, who scored 90 and 106 not out in the first two games, has got 30,000 followers while Kaur is third on the list with close to 20,000 followers.
However, the sudden rise in the followers base has not surprised Kaur who said that these things were inevitable once the players start performing well.
“We are bindaas (cool). We knew that this will happen,” said Kaur. “Our seniors always told us that when you do well, the media and people will come to you on their own. So we are prepared; it is not that we have not seen or heard this attention.”
The governing bodies of the game are also taking all-possible measures to make the women’s game popular. A total of 10 games of the ongoing tournament are being telecast live on television while the remaining 21 matches are being streamed online. The ICC has also done its bit with the brilliant match highlights.
“Whenever you get time you are looking at your phone and social media; you can see the clips of the players,” agreed Kaur who became the first Indian to be picked up for the Women’s Big Bash League. “Family and old friends who don’t follow cricket that much, they are giving their views on cricket. Some of my school friends who have never watched cricket are sending us their wishes. So we get to know so many people are following it back home in India.”
Speaking on the difference that coverage of the women’s game by the followers has made, Kaur added:
“(The development) is positive. When we used to play before, I had to call my sir and tell him, ‘Sir, I did this today’. He would always say, ‘jangal mein mor nacha, kisine na dekha (the peacock danced in the forest, but no one saw it)’. Now people are watching. They know what’s happening. It’s a good sign. I recall now what he said.
“When Ekta (Bisht) took five wickets in the last match (against Pakistan), you open Instagram or any other social media, you get to see her five-wicket haul all the time. Before, when someone took wickets or great catches, no one knew about it. And, so they (critics) felt that girls cannot do these kinds of things. Now people are getting to see these clips over and over. People who had not watched the match or who don’t know (about women’s cricket). It’s a positive sign,” she added.
Also Read: (Twitter reacts as Indian women beat Sri Lanka in World Cup)