Google Doodle spotlights women’s cricket as the T20 World Cup kicks off – Times of India

How’s that!? Get ready to support your team. The 2024 ICC Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup is here, and today’s Google Doodle is all about it. The tournament is being held in the United Arab Emirates, where 10 countries will battle it out to lift the World Cup trophy. The first match is today between Bangladesh and Scotland at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
The doodle is an animated image of three women, with one batting, one in the air trying to catch, and the third celebrating a wicket.It not only celebrates the inauguration of the 9th edition of the ICC T20 World Cup but also celebrates these women cricketers. Cricket has traditionally been a ‘male sport.’ But watching women play the same sport with equal passion, energy, and grace is inspiring and a testament to a woman’s capabilities.
The teams for the World Cup have been divided into two groups of 5 each. Teams in both groups will first try to reach the top spot. The top two teams from each group will head to the semifinals. The winners of those two matches will give us our finalists, who will finally play the last match to decide who will win the trophy for their country. This time around, Scotland will make its first appearance, and the reigning champions Australia will try to emerge victorious for the 7th time.
Women have played cricket for centuries, but they did not receive the same historical documentation as the men playing it, for obvious reasons. The first recorded women’s match was played in 1745 in Surrey between the maids of Bramley and the maids of Hambledon, according to reports. This further led to the formation of cricket clubs, which saw women actively participating. While there are sparse references to women’s cricket in history books, there are even fewer references to non-white women or women of color playing cricket. As we come down the ladder of privileges, the differences, biases, and subjugation become much clearer.
It is with this context that the recent boost to women’s cricket should be celebrated and acknowledged. Women have been subjected to systemic oppression for ages now. Cricketers like Meg Lanning, Smriti Mandhana, Charlotte Edwards, Stafanie Taylor, Suzie Bates, and many others have proved that women are capable of anything they put their minds to.