Will RCB host mixed gender cricket match?

They may be doing it just for a lark. But there are serious issues involved in women’s cricket which might get an exposure if the RCB’s idea of a unique mixed gender T20 exhibition game comes about.

The team’s official drink mooted the idea and there has been good online response for a match that may involve a few RCB players and a few international women cricketers like Mithali Raj and Harmanpreet Kaur.

Virat Kohli has been a great supporter of the idea. He is convinced that cricket sees no gender and that men and women have equal rights in sports. Translating that to equal pay as in tennis may be a long time coming, but RCB might be kickstarting a great idea., if it gets the game off the ground.  

“Be it men or women, cricket is one game, and I want to urge fans to break the boundaries that exist in their mind that divides the sport by gender. Equality in sports is ultimately a reflection of equality in life, and if we want a better tomorrow, then we need to say #ChallengeAccepted and start breaking down all stereotypes,” Kohli said.

The online campaign for equal rights has met with a mixed reaction with some even suggesting that the RCB hire a few women cricketers. When the team was in very poor form and didn’t seem capable of beating anyone, memes suggesting ‘Bangalore cant.’ which is the cantonment station’s name as spelt on the board, was put up online.

Mithali Raj also saw this as an opportunity to present her point of view.   “Over the recent years, women’s cricket has made a lot of progress in terms of earning respect from fans and experts, but the playing field is still not equal. The true difference is seen when there is parity in opportunities, salaries, coverage and fan support,” Mithali said.

There is no firm date yet for the exhibition game but whenever it is played it might throw light on the differences in men and women’s cricket. Tennis was the first sport to put up a great challenge match between the sexes when Billie Jean King took on Bobby Riggs and won. Today, tennis prides itself on equal pay although women play shorter matches in best of three sets compared to best of five sets for men at the Grand Slams.