At Ballygunge Arena on a breezy evening, a woman in a salwar kameez arrives carrying old sneakers in a plastic bag. She looks nervous, unsure if she even belongs. The moment she connects with the bat, though, the ground erupts. For her, it’s not about the score — it’s about finding a piece of herself again.
That rediscovery is what CricRizz is about. “We wanted a space that was fun, friendly and full of cricket energy, where even strangers could become friends over the game,” says co-founder Shilpa Baheti, 44, an equity market trader. The all-women’s cricket community she runs with co-founder Aastha Seth, 29, an entrepreneur, has become Kolkata’s most spirited sporting story — a reminder that the love of a game never fades, even if decades pass.
‘There was no space for us’
Aastha Seth and Shilpa Baheti, both captains of their respective clubs, founded the community
“It began with a gap,” says Shilpa. “We were all playing at club level and meeting twice a year for tournaments. Beyond that, there was no platform for women cricketers in Kolkata.”
The two bonded over the sport and decided to build one. “We started with a WhatsApp group of players we knew,” Shilpa recalls. “They added friends, colleagues, and even mothers from their kids’ school groups. Suddenly, we had over 100 women wanting to play.”
A Google form soon followed to assess each player’s skill level. “We ask how often they play and how confident they feel,” says Shilpa. “That helps us create balanced teams. One team shouldn’t be overpowered — that’s key to keeping morale high.”
From club rivals to community builders
Shilpa Baheti captains Bengal Rowing Club
Today, CricRizz has over 150 members — club players, first-timers and women who last picked up a bat in school. “We play 8-10 over tennis ball matches once or twice a week at Ballygunge Arena or Elgin Turf,” says Shilpa. “As soon as 18 names sign up on WhatsApp, the match is on,” she added. “Just because you’re not part of an old club doesn’t mean you should stop playing.”
Aastha recalls one woman who almost skipped a match because she had no one to watch her six-year-old daughter. “I told her to bring the child along,” she says. “We’re all mothers here — someone will take care of her. The point is, you have to show up.”
There are also stories that go beyond cricket. “One of our players, Archana Todi, is over 60,” says Shilpa. “She used to play in school, came back after 40 years, and led her team to victory in a club tournament. Her confidence inspired everyone.”
‘If I don’t play twice a week, something feels missing’
Priyanka Sanganeria, who is quite active in multiple sports, feels like she is missing something if she goes a week without playing cricket
For 40 year old event planner Priyanka Sanganeria, cricket started in her childhood lawn with her brothers. “I had no formal training,” she says. “Now, if I don’t play twice a week, I feel something is missing. Cricket has become part of my routine.”
Known for her pace, Priyanka is often in friendly rivalry with Aastha. “On the field we’re ready to tear each other apart, but off the field we’re buddies,” she laughs. “We even call each other ‘buddy’. I know exactly where to bowl to her, and she knows my weak spots. Once, after I blocked one of her big shots, I told her, ‘See, I knew exactly what you were doing — I’ll show you your place!’ It’s all fun and banter.”
Aastha enjoys it just as much. “Priyanka is one of the best bowlers in the circuit,” she smiles. “We compete fiercely, but cheer even louder for each other.”
‘At 51, I can still run and play’
Playing cricket made Moneka Bharadwaj regain her strength and confidence after a difficult period in life
For Moneka Bharadwaj, 51, cricket became a way to rebuild her life after unimaginable loss. “In 2019, I lost my husband suddenly after a basketball game,” she says. “I was shattered — trying to manage my business, raise my children, and survive the grief. During COVID, it got worse. I lost 20 kilos, couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep. I had no strength or confidence left.”
Then sport brought her back. “When I started playing cricket again, it felt like coming alive,” she says. “It gave me energy, confidence, and purpose. Now, when I wear my jersey and step onto the pitch, I feel proud — I can still run and play with 18-year-olds. My kids tell me, ‘Mama, please go and play,’ because they know that’s when I’m truly happy.”
When Manisha Gupta picked up the bat after 30 years she was nervous, but the first hit made her feel like the sport never left her life
Manisha Gupta, 48, who runs a vegetarian home cloud kitchen, calls the experience empowering. “I hadn’t played for 30 years,” she says. “When I held the bat, my hands shook. But everyone was so encouraging, it felt like I’d never left.”
Fuelled by the World Cup and a new dream
From mothers to working women, CricRizz has become a happy escape from the stress of daily life
The community’s energy soared after India’s Women’s World Cup win. “The audience for women’s matches has completely changed,” says Aastha. “People who grew up watching only men now come to see us play. Once, I hit six sixes in a row and a man from the stands offered to sponsor a women’s team. That moment meant everything.”
Cricket runs deep for Aastha too. Her father is an ex-Ranji player and current IPL match referee. “He keeps reminding me how lucky women are today to have visibility, infrastructure and support that didn’t exist before,” she says.
CricRizz plans to host a six team, auction-style tournament early next year and slowly introduce hard ball cricket. “Success will be when we shift from tennis ball to a deuce ball and run a full city league,” says Aastha. “It’s such an energetic space — you’re always learning, improving and making new friendships,” adds Shilpa.
The social side of sport
Off the field, Aastha admits she isn’t the outgoing type. “I’m very un-social unless it’s about sport,” she laughs. “Tell me to party, I’ll run away. Tell me to play, and I’ll be the first to show up.”
That’s become CricRizz’s unwritten motto — show up. Whether you’re a trader, teacher, or tired from work, you pick up a bat, walk onto the turf, and remember what it feels like to play.
And that’s how Kolkata’s women — from 20 to 60, mothers, professionals, dreamers — are rewriting their own cricket story, one over at a time.