International Women's Day: Anjum Chopra Urges Aspirers To Take Charge, Backs World Cup Win For Women's Cricket Growth In India-Exclusive

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Anjum Chopra, a trailblazer in Indian women's cricket, has witnessed the sport's evolution firsthand-from its early days of obscurity to its current surge in popularity.

A former India captain and a respected voice in the cricketing world, Chopra has not only contributed to the game as a player but also as an expert and a broadcaster, helping shape the sport's narrative for future generations.

In this exclusive conversation, she reflects on her journey, the challenges she faced, sharing her thoughts on societal expectations, breaking stereotypes, and the key to ensuring continued growth in the sport.

With an unwavering belief in perseverance, she emphasizes that success is about taking charge, just like learning to drive, where you have to sit in the driver's seat and navigate the road ahead and feels that a World Cup win will elevate women's cricket to greater heights just like the 1983 win under the captaincy of Kapil Dev.

Here are the excerpts from the interview.

1) How did societal expectations influence your decision to pursue cricket, which was back then, if you see a sport predominantly associated with men. So, what was your family's perception back then and what role did their support play in your journey along the way?

See, my journey or where I am today is all because of my family and their guidance. So, for me to get introduced to the sport to start with is obviously the direction that my family showed me.

They highlighted the path. They put me on the path, and they assisted me to walk that path. So to have any societal questions coming through at all, they largely didn't come to me because I was a young kid. Even if there were anything even that came to me, it didn't bother me. In my house, we were very clear what we needed to do because my parents were very clear what they needed to do.

Yeah, so it was their decision, and it was their planning or practice. I won't say planning or anything else, but it was their decision and their hard work to allow me to be there, the field I was in.

It didn't really matter what the society thought. We were not bowed down by societal thoughts or pressures. As I said, the credit goes to my parents for backing me.

2) Obviously, growing up as as an athlete comes with several challenges. So, what are the kind of challenges you faced both on and off the field?

The challenges are there everyday. From the moment you decide to step out to play or even take a bus to get to the ground and then to come back and do your homework and this and that. There are also challenges even at your house- small, medium, large, they come in all sizes.

It is not like a bed of roses where you decide to place and you know, everything is in line for you. Yeah, so those challenges will remain, the competitions will remain. Those heartbreaks will remain. For me, everything goes there, like, possibly anybody else would also feel. I had to face every possible challenge. The biggest challenge obviously remains the fact that my sport was not a sport when I started playing. It was not a sport which was very known, women's cricket. Cricket was popular, yes but not women's cricket.

So, while everyone knew all the time, I started playing at the time when Kapil Dev lifted the World Cup. For India, it wasn't like women's cricket had suddenly clung up to surprise people. So, that was also a challenge but was like many other challenges.

3) In our Indian culture, you see a lot of strong gender roles. So how did you navigate these roles while striving to be a successful athlete?

Honestly, I never really had to navigate those challenges. Fortunately, I didn't face those questions directly. I put all my focus into training at the boys' academy, competing in a men's setup. So, I never really encountered those barriers firsthand. And even if there were any concerns or discussions around gender roles in sports, I wasn't directly involved in those conversations.

4) So, as a female cricketer, do you feel responsible to break stereotypes and pave the way for younger girls who take up the sport?

I think, I have already done it. Not that I was the only one or consciously doing it, but I guess when I look back and reflect back on the number of people who have joined the fraternity or what they're doing, not as in playing cricket because it's not that I myself started it.

There were people before as well, who started playing cricket. It all started in 1971 and I started somewhere in 1987-88.

Apart from whatever other things have happened or or how we are doing, I can certainly say that. From where I started to where it is today, I think the pathway is already defined pretty much. I'm not trying to boast or being arrogant, I'm just being humble about it since we're talking on the subject.

5) What kind of impact do you think female cricketers have had on the perception of women in India, both in sports and beyond?

Just look at the opportunities we have today. When I started back in the early 1990s, things were very different. Even in the 1980s, when my father used to talk about cricket, there was little recognition for women's cricket. Nobody could have predicted the kind of transformation we see today.

Back then, we simply kept moving forward, step by step. Where women's cricket stands today isn't the final destination-it's just part of an ongoing journey. The game has evolved significantly, and it will continue to grow and improve over time.

Regarding responsibility, I don't feel the pressure of carrying the sport on my shoulders. I never had a specific role model that I aspired to be like; I just knew I wanted to be part of the profession. Fortunately, I've always been surrounded by wonderful people who have guided me, regardless of gender. Their support has helped me grow, whether as a player, broadcaster, or professional in the field.

Challenges are inevitable. You can't expect all the traffic lights to be green when you set out on a journey. If you want to drive, you have to get in the driver's seat and learn how to navigate the road.

When I learned to drive, I was taught on a manual transmission because I needed to be prepared for any situation. Today, most cars are automatic, but the principle remains the same-you have to understand the rules of the road. Similarly, in cricket and in life, the world won't change overnight. The challenges will remain, but you can overcome them with confidence, dedication, and a willingness to keep moving forward.

6) You have seen the growth of Indian women's cricket from close quarters. So what are the changes you would be expecting for the betterment of the game in the coming decade?

Change is constant, and it will continue to happen-whether it's in the next five years or even in the next two. What we're witnessing today is already a massive shift, and with events like the World Cup, the transformation will become even more significant. The evolution of women's cricket is ongoing, and it won't stop here.

Of course, I want the game to keep growing. But for Indian women's cricket to take a major leap forward, the team needs to win a World Cup. The moment India lifts that trophy, the sport will gain even greater recognition and investment, especially given the massive following cricket has in our country.

Right now, other nations have been winning. But if the Indian women's team can secure a World Cup victory, particularly within the subcontinent, it will create a monumental shift in the sport's growth. The impact would be huge, and we would see significant changes in how the game is perceived and supported.