One in 10 women who participated in a new BBC study conducted across 14 Indian states say they play cricket, a significant increase on the last survey six years ago.
The 2020 study found there were five times more men playing cricket than women. This gap had narrowed to three times more men than women in 2026.
Playing, in the context of the survey, refers to anyone saying they currently play the sport. Forty per cent of the women who play cricket do so at least once a week.
The survey, commissioned by the BBC and Collective Newsroom as part of the Indian Sportswoman of the Year initiative, aimed to assess participation of Indian women in sport, and wider societal attitudes towards sportswomen.
It was conducted by interviewing 10,304 respondents aged 15 or older.
