Indian female athletes always make the name of their country proud from aeons in various sports events, and the games of the Olympics are not the exception. Every year in Olympics, the female participates from India got many reorganizations. It can be hoped that this year at Tokyo Olympics, this glorified journey may get some more feathers as victory tokens.

Since 1952 India got many female Olympians who glorified the name of their country all over the world. Mary D'Souza is the first Indian female athlete who participated in the Helsinki Olympics in 1952. She got the fifth and seventh positions in the 100m and 200m races respectively in that year. This year at the Tokyo Olympics many proud daughters of India has qualified for the Olympics. Moreover, we are sure that they are ready to shine their country's name with their great performances.

Read Also: Indian Athletes Qualified for 2020 Olympics in Tokyo: In Detail

Indian Female Athletes Who Qualified for Tokyo Olympics

There are many Indian female athletes participated in Tokyo Olympic, I would like to introduce few of them.

Deepika Kumari

This Arjuna Award winner archer is one of the most deserving medal prospects in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. She is the first female athlete who was qualified for the 2004 Athens Olympics in individual events. Deepika also won the individual Gold on the World Cup 2007 and 2010 Commonwealth Games. She also managed to bring the Team Bronze for India in the 2010 Asian Games.

It was unfortunate that Deepika could not reach the quarter-finals at the 2012 London Olympics & 2016 Rio Olympics. But, the whole of India hopes that she will conquer this time.

Simranjit Kaur

Simranjit Kaur is a light welterweight boxer from Punjab. She is the Bronze and Silver medalist, in the 2018 World Championship and 2019 Asian Championships respectively.

This 25 years old athlete from Punjab recently clinched a silver medal at the 35th Boxam International Boxing Tournament in Castellon. Last year in March she qualified in the women's 60 kg category for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

Read Also: Indian Boxers who qualified for the Tokyo Olympics 2020

Mary Kom

MC Mary Kom is the only female boxer from India who had qualified for Summer Olympics 2012 and won the bronze medal in the flyweight category. She is also the first female boxer who won the gold medal in the 2014 Asian Games, and the 2018 Commonwealth Games. International Boxing Association (amateur) ranked her as the World's No. 1 female light-flyweight boxer.

Kom will be very much in focus, as she already hinted it will her last Olympic.

Read Also: 10 Inspiring Indian Sportswomen: International Women's Day Special

Bhavani Devi

Bhavani Devi the 27 years old athlete already made history by qualified for the Tokyo Olympics as the first Indian fencer. At present, she holds 42nd place in the world and 1st place in the country. In the 2009 CommonWealth Championship, she won the bronze gold medal.

With a chance to make history for India, Bhavani could be the Devi (goddess) for Indian Fencing history.

Pranati Nayak

A proud daughter of a bus driver Pranati Nayak is an Indian gymnast who won bronze in the Asian Artistic Gymnastic 2019. Now she is all set to participate in the Tokyo Olympics after successfully qualified in the continental quota. However, Deepa Karmakar is yet to qualify for the Tokyo games.

Manika Batra

Manika Batra is a table tennis player who successfully qualified for the Tokyo Olympics 2021. She has a huge number of achievements in her career. In the 2015 Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships, she won three medals. She also won 3 medals again in the 2016 South Asian Games. In the 2018 Commonwealth Games, she led the Indian women's team and won against powerful opponents. Perhaps, Batra is the highest-ranked Table Tennis player from India.

Vinesh Phogat

Belongs to the great Phogat family Vinesh is also a skilled athlete like her other sisters. She won many events, including gold in the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, gold in the 2018 Asian Games, bronze in the 2019 Asian Wrestling Championships, gold in the 2019 Yasar Dogu International, gold in the 2019 Poland Open wrestling tournament, bronze in 2019 World Wrestling Championships, and many more.

Meanwhile, 7 more wrestlers also have qualified for Tokyo 2020.

Apart from the above-mentioned participants, there are many more Indian female athletes who are going to represent the country in the Tokyo Olympics 2021, such as Priyanka Goswami (Women's 20km race walking), Kamalpreet Kaur (Women's discus throw), Anjum Moudgil (10-meter air rifle), Sutirtha Mukherjee (Table Tennis), and so on. Hope we will get some amazing as well as unforgettable performances from these proficient women athletes in this upcoming Olympics event.

Here is the list of other female athletes from India who qualified for Tokyo Olympics-

1. Priyanka Goswami, Women's 20km race walking
2. Kamalpreet Kaur, Women's discus throw
3. Anjum Moudgil, 10-meter air rifle
4. Sutirtha Mukherjee, Table Tennis
5. Bhawana Jat, Women's 20km race walking
6. Lovlina Borgohain (Women's, 69kg, Boxing)
7. Pooja Rani (Women's, 75kg, Boxing)
8. Apurvi Chandela, 10-meter air rifle
9. Manu Bhaker, 10 meter air pistol
10. Yashaswini Deawai, 10-meter air pistol
11. Rahi Sarnobat, 25 meter pistol
12. Chinki Yadav, 25-meter pistol
13. Tejaswini Sawant, 50-meter rifle three position
14. Nethra Kumanan, Laser Radial
15. Seema Bisla, Women's Freestyle, 50kg
16. Anshu Malik, Women's Freestyle 57kg
17. Sonam Malik, Women's Freestyle 62kg

Women’s cricket is constantly growing, and matches are continuously being played on a bigger stage with larger crowds. 

There are female cricketers who paved the way for others and continuously tried to grow the game even when only the smallest spotlight was on the sport, and such players need commending for their efforts. 

So, let's dig into the incredible careers and achievements of some of the best female cricketers who are making history.

Top Female Cricketers

10. Chamari Athapaththu | Sri Lanka 

Chamari Athapaththu is the greatest cricketer from Sri Lanka to have played women’s cricket. 

Debuting as a 19-year-old, she was soon noted for her aggressive batting. 

She became captain of the Sri Lanka national team and has helped a not-so-strong team challenge much more formidable opponents on the global stage.

In 2024 she led Sri Lanka to an underdog win in the Asia Cup women’s T20I series and finished as Player of the Tournament. 

Chamari has also led Sri Lanka to its first-ever series wins over South Africa and England in T20Is and over New Zealand in ODIs. 

She holds the record for most runs for Sri Lanka in women’s ODIs and T20Is, and her nine women’s ODI hundreds are a Sri Lankan record as well. 

In April 2024, her unbeaten 195 helped Sri Lanka complete the first-ever successful chase of more than 300 runs in a women’s ODI.

In 2023, a seating zone at the Sydney Cricket Ground was named “Chamari Bay” in her honor.

9. Laura Wolvaardt | South Africa 

Laura Wolvaardt made her debut for South Africa as an opening batter at age 16, and by age 25 she became her country’s record holder for most ODI runs, most ODI hundreds, and most T20I runs in women’s cricket. 

Along the way, she became the youngest centurion, male or female, for South Africa in international cricket. 

In 2024 Wolvaardt became only the third woman to score a hundred in all three formats of international cricket, achieving the feat in a Test vs. India. 

After that, she was also named captain of the South Africa T20I team for the World Cup and captained her side to the final where it lost to New Zealand.

8. Heather Knight | England 

Heather Knight took over as captain of the England women’s team in 2016 when Charlotte Edwards retired and led it to victory in the 2017 women’s ODI World Cup at home. 

She was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year that year and was also awarded an OBE. 

As of 2024 Knight has more than 5,000 runs in international cricket.

7. Amelia Kerr | New Zealand 

Amelia Kerr is a third-generation New Zealand cricketer who emerged on the international scene with a bang. 

At age 16, she was the youngest to earn a New Zealand Cricket contract and to debut for the national team in 2017. 

The next year, at 17, she became the youngest cricketer, man or woman, to score an international double century. During that innings, she beat the women’s ODI record held by Belinda Clark on her way to an unbeaten 232.

Not content with scoring a double, she also took 5 wickets while bowling in one of the all-time great all-round displays. 

Kerr has since been a consistent performer for New Zealand and in 2024 was named both the Player of the Final and the Player of the Tournament as New Zealand won the women’s T20I World Cup.

6. Hayley Matthews | West Indies 

Hayley Matthews is a cricketer from Barbados who plays for the West Indies women’s cricket team and became the team’s captain in 2022. 

Matthews is an all-rounder who has more than 4,000 runs in women’s ODIs and T20Is, as well as more than 100 wickets in each format. 

A natural athlete, she played both track and field and cricket in her youth, before focusing on cricket and making her debut for the West Indies. 

Her crowning glory was a Player of the Match performance in the women’s T20I World Cup final in 2016, as the West Indies beat favorites Australia to win its first title.

Matthews is a highly sought after player in franchise leagues across the world and was Player of the Tournament in the first edition of the WPL in 2023, when she helped her team, Mumbai Indians, win the title.

5. Nat Sciver-Brunt | England 

Nat Sciver-Brunt plays international cricket for England. She has scored more than 6,000 international runs with 10 centuries and taken more than 150 wickets as of 2024. 

She is credited with inventing the “Natmeg” shot, in which she hits the ball between her legs for runs. 

In 2013 she became the first England bowler to take a women’s T20I hat trick.

Nat Sciver was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 2018 and won the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year award in both 2022 and 2023. 

She is married to fellow England cricketer Katherine Sciver-Brunt.

4. Ellyse Perry | Australia 

Ellyse Perry is one of the greatest all-rounders in the history of cricket based on sheer numbers: a Test batting average of over 60, a Test bowling average below 22, and women’s ODI batting and bowling averages of 50 and 25, respectively. 

In 2007, at age 16, Perry became the youngest Australian to play international cricket. 

She is also the first Australian to have appeared in cricket as well as football (soccer) World Cups, playing the latter in 2011 in Germany. 

She has won the ICC Women’s Player of the Year award twice, in 2017 and 2019. 

In 2020 she was named the ICC Female Player of the Decade. Perry is one of the most famous female cricketers in the world.

3. Harmanpreet Kaur | India

Harmanpreet Kaur debuted for India in 2009 but is best remembered for an unbeaten innings of 171, which helped underdogs India beat Australia to reach the final of the 2017 women’s ODI World Cup.

The knock made her a household name in India and helped take the popularity of the women’s game to the next level. 

She has also scored India’s fastest T20I hundred off only 49 balls. Harmanpreet has more than 7,000 international runs and more than 70 wickets. 

In 2016 she became the first Indian cricketer to sign a contract with the Australian Big Bash League, playing for Sydney Thunder. In 2017 she was awarded the Arjuna Award. 

Picked as captain by the Mumbai Indians in the WPL, she led them to victory in the inaugural season of the WPL in 2023. She was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year the same year.

Harmanpreet has also captained the Indian women’s national team across formats since 2016.

2. Alyssa Healy | Australia 

Alyssa Healy is a wicketkeeper batsman who captains the Australian women’s national team.

She had a middling batting record until 2017 but has since remodeled herself into a formidable opening batter. 

In 2018 she was Player of the Tournament in Australia’s women’s T20I World Cup win; she was named Women’s T20I Player of the Year that year. 

Healy was also Player of the Match when Australia successfully defended its T20I title in the 2020 final. 

She continued her big-match streak with a Player of the Match performance in the 2022 women’s ODI World Cup final, scoring a mammoth 170 runs and earning the Player of the Series award. 

In 2020 Healy surpassed MS Dhoni’s record for the most wicketkeeping dismissals in T20Is by any keeper, male or female. 

1. Smriti Mandhana | India

Currently regarded as one of the best batters in women’s cricket, Smriti Mandhana holds several coveted records to her name.

She has scored more than 7,000 international runs with more than 10 hundreds across formats. 

Her nine ODI hundreds are an Indian women’s record. 

She captained her state team Maharashtra in 2013 at just age 16 and debuted for India the same year. 

Mandhana was the costliest buy in the inaugural WPL auction and was picked by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) as captain for 3.4 crore rupees. 

She led RCB to victory in the second edition of the WPL in 2024. 

Mandhana won the ICC Women’s ODI Player of the Year award in 2018. She has also won the Rachael Hayhoe Flint Award for Best Women’s Cricketer of the Year twice, in 2018 and 2021.

The year 2025 is going to be exciting for Indian sports fans as it promises an action-packed calendar. This includes world events in hockey, squash, boxing, badminton, shooting and cricket, alongside the National Games and Khelo India competitions. The country is set to witness a wide range of sporting events this year. 

Also Read: Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2024: Full Winners List

After bidding goodbye to an eventful 2024, an exciting 2025 awaits sports fans as far as India are concerned. India will host several big competitions across sports this year, including the Women’s ODI World Cup and the Para World Athletics Championships.

Apart from hosting competitions, India will also take part in several multi-nation tournaments internationally, including the ICC Champions Trophy which will be held in a hybrid model with matches taking place in Pakistan and UAE.

Also Read: ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 schedule announced

Several Indian athletes and teams, including the likes of Neeraj Chopra and Manu Bhaker, will be in action this year. The India women’s cricket team will hope to end a long wait to possibly clinch the Women’s ODI World Cup.

Here’s the complete list of major sports events in India 2025.

Major sports events in India 2025

The player auction for the WPL 2025 is scheduled to take place on December 15, 2024, in Bengaluru. In this auction, bidding is about to take place on 120 players.

Also Read: BCCI announce the player List for WPL 2025 Auction: Only two players from Bengal

Shortlist of players

The WPL 2025 auction list includes 91 Indian players and 29 international players, including three emerging talents from associate nations. Of the players available, 30 players are capped (9 Indians, 21 foreigners), while the remaining 90 are uncapped (82 Indians, 8 foreigners).

Most of the franchises have retained their core players this season, leaving only 19 slots (5 for overseas players) vacant in this year's auction.

List of marquee players

Marquee players available for auction include Tejal Hasabnis, Sneh Rana, Deandra Dottin (West Indies), Heather Knight (England), Orla Prendergast (Ireland), Lauren Bell (England), Kim Garth (Australia) and Danielle Gibson (England) among many others. 

Available Purses:

• Delhi Capitals - Purse left: INR 2.5 crores, Slots left: 4 (1 Overseas)
• Gujarat Giants - Purse left: INR 4.4 crores, Slots left: 4 (2 Overseas)
• Mumbai Indians - Purse left: INR 2.65 crores, Slots left: 4 (1 Overseas)
• Royal Challengers Bengaluru - Purse left: INR 3.25 crores, Slots left: 4 (0 Overseas)
• UP Warriorz - Purse left: INR 3.9 crore, Slots left: 3 (1 Overseas)

WPL 2025 Auction: Live Streaming Details

When will the WPL 2025 auction take place?

The auction is scheduled to take place on December 15.

Where is the Women's Premier League auction going to take place?

The auction is going to be held in Bengaluru.

What time will the auction start?

The auction will start at 2:30 pm.

Where will the auction be live on TV?

The auction will air live on the Sports 18 channel (SD and HD).

Where will the live streaming of the Women's Premier League 2025 auction take place?

The live streaming will be absolutely free on the Jio Cinema app and their website.

World Athletics has earlier announced that athletes should wear shoes with a uniform 20-millimeter sole thickness limit for all events. This rule will come into action on November 1st, 2024, marking a notable change in the actions of the athletes.

This rule has been induced to welcome fairness in the game. However, this has sparked controversies. While many athletes have accepted it, some are still in dilemmas about the rule.

Well, let's look at how the rule will impact the performance. However, for now, let's look at the present thickness.

Current Shoe Sole Thickness Rules in Athletics

Presently, there is no such uniformity of sole thickness. Thickness normally varies according to the events in which the athletes participate.

Suppose, in events where an athlete will have run more than 800 meters, shoes are allowed to have a sole up to 25 mm. However, when it comes to shorter distances, the maximum thickness has been limited to 20 mm.

For field events, including the high jump, athletes have a 20mm limit. But for the triple jump, athletes are allowed to wear shoes with soles up to 25mm.

These rules were implemented in January 2022, based on the technological advancements in shoes. However, from 1st November this year, there will be no distinction in sole thickness in different events.

Point to be noted: the rules for road events like marathons and race walks, which permit a 40mm sole thickness, will remain unchanged.

Why is World Athletics enforcing a 20mm sole limit?

The main motto of World Athletics is to ensure fairness. As a result of this, the federation has decided to apply the rule of a uniform 20mm limit to the sole.

In recent years, advances in shoe technology—particularly with thicker soles and carbon fiber plates—have sparked debates about whether these shoes offer athletes some unfair advantage.

Thus, World Athletics created its own Working Group on Athletic Shoes in 2020. The main task of this group is to analyze the impact of shoe technology on performance. They also draft regulations, ensuring that athletes are focusing more on skills and not technology.

The new rule was announced well in advance to give shoe manufacturers ample time to adapt their designs.

Athletes' Reactions to the 20mm Rule Change

Top athletes have had mixed reactions to the upcoming rule. Joshua Cheptegei, the Olympic and World Champion in the 10,000 meters, supports the change, describing it as "for the benefit of the sport."

He added that the thinner soles won’t necessarily lead to slower times, emphasizing that performance is often influenced by an athlete's mindset. Cheptegei also noted that recent shoe technology has aided recovery between training sessions, which could be impacted by the new regulations.

Meanwhile, Muktar Edris, a former two-time 5,000m World Champion, said that a thicker sole helps the athletes, providing them extra "energy" and "push." A reduced sole may hamper a regular action.

The Controversy Surrounding Shoe Technology

The controversy regarding shoe technology is nothing new. Before 2022, the track spikes had soles with thicknesses up to 30 mm.

During the Tokyo Olympics, legendary sprinter Usain Bolt brought this issue to the public, citing the unfair advantage an athlete may receive due to thicker boots. Not only that, but with the increased use of technologically advanced shoes, world records that looked unbreakable are at stake.

Karsten Warholm, the one who holds the World Record in 400m hurdles, also expressed his concern. After winning the gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics, he questioned the boots of the runner-up, Rai Benjamin.

Warholm made serious claims that Benjamin used thicker Nike soles that provided the later an unfair advantage. Warholm's remarks not only concerned the federation but drew attention to the fine line between technological innovation and "technological doping."

The Impact of Shoe Technology on Performance

Eliud Kipchoge, the first athlete who broke the two-hour marathon barrier in 2019, sparked controversies at his time as well. He used the Nike Alphafly, which featured thick soles and carbon plates. However, the nature of the event didn't let that record count. 

Later, World Athletics introduced a rule. It required the new shoes to be in the open market for at least four months prior to the competition. This rule also aspired to thwart athletes with exclusive shoe deals from gaining an unfair advantage.

Will the 20mm sole limit affect athlete performance?

It is not exactly negative, but the athletes will solely depend on their physical abilities and techniques. Yes, a few athletes do consider this to hurt their performance, but just like Cheptegei mentioned, mental resilience and training will play a crucial role in breaking records or achieving personal bests (PB).

Well, a reduced cushion in the sole will demand more energy from the athlete. Thus, athletes need to adjust their training regimes to adapt to the new rules.

World Athletics had mentioned clearly that they want to promote uniformity. They want the athletes to rely on their power and skills, not some technology beneath their feet, that will change and evolve with time. 

However, with shoe manufacturers rushing to adapt their designs, the real test will come when athletes compete under the new regulations in 2024.

The teams of South Africa and West Indies will face each other in the third match of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024 on October 4, Friday. Both the teams would like to make a strong start in the tournament by performing well in this match.

Also Read: ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024: Squads of every team

This match is important for both the teams as it can give them a chance to go to the knockout stage of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. With the result of this match, the form of both the teams and the ability of their players will be evaluated. South Africa will take the field with its balanced team, while West Indies will depend on the excellent form of its captain Hayley Matthews.

South Africa won the series 2-1 against Pakistan

South Africa women's team has recently performed brilliantly against Pakistan by winning the series 2-1. Their eyes are set on winning the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 title. Team captain Laura Wolvaardt is currently the fifth ranked T20 batsman in the world and has led the team to victory in many matches with her aggressive game.

Marizanne Kapp and Chloe Tryon are the other key players of the team who are expected to strengthen the team with their experience. In bowling, Tumi Sekhukhune and Sinalo Jafta can play major roles.

West Indies won the T20 series against Sri Lanka 

The West Indies team has recently shown its capability by winning the T20 series against Sri Lanka. Team captain Hayley Matthews is in excellent form and has scored 313 runs so far in the year 2024 and has also taken 8 wickets.

The team is full of all-rounders, but their batsmen will have to show composure against the strong bowling of South Africa. The return of Deandra Dottin has strengthened the team and she will play an important role in both batting and bowling.

Also Read: ICC announces equal prize money for women as men ahead of Women's T20 World Cup 2024; winners to receive US$2.34million

SAW vs WIW: Head-To-Head

SAW vs WIW: Squads