Dubai: The heartbreak of a defeat to England in the final may still rankle, but the Indian women’s spirited showing in the Women’s Cricket Cup is going to give a boost to their brand value in the coming months.
A number of film production houses are already exploring the possibility of making a biopic on Mithali Raj, the inspirational captain, while the India Inc. are looking at the new ‘Captain Cool’ and the hard hitting Harmanpreet Kaur as their brand ambassadors.
It was before the start of the World Cup that a production house approached Medallin Sports, which handles portfolio of the two cricketers, to discuss the possibilities of a biopic on Raj, now the top-scorer in women’s One Day Internationals and is referred to as the ‘Sachin Tendulkar of women’s cricket.’
A top official of Medallin says the interest level has now increased following a stirring World Cup campaign to make a film on the life and times of the 34-year-old from Hyderabad.
Speaking to Gulf News from India, Varun Chopra, co-founder of Medallin said: “We have started to receive a range of queries on the duo over the last fortnight or so. In Mithali’s case, a publishing house has approached us for the rights of an autobiography of her after a picture of her reading a book to calm her nerves before going out to bat became viral. A number of corporate houses, ranging from two-wheelers, FMCGs to real estate companies meanwhile are interested in taking them on board as brand ambassadors.”
Raj, who enjoys the status of an elder stateswoman in the game with a career spanning 16 years, is no stranger to playing the ambassador though as she has around six to eight companies on her list. The trendsetter, who had only four followers on her Twitter handle in July 2016, now has a staggering 130,000, with more than 100,000 followers joining after the World Cup started.
Chopra, meanwhile, echoed her celebrity client’s suggestion that time was ripe to “create the base” of a female equivalent to the Indian Premier League. Driving home his point, Chopra said: “A key factor behind Kaur’s growth as a cricketer was her stint in the T20 Big Bash for women in Australia last year. The T20 leagues help players develop that special ability to soak in the pressure — something which the Indian team was found wanting in the final overs at The Lords.
“An event like the IPL will help our players toughen up, apart from allowing the Indian cricket board to exploit the marketing potential of women’s game on the heels of a well-marketed World Cup,” he said.
Earlier on Sunday, a dejected Raj said after the final in London: “Everybody was very nervous and I think that resulted in our defeat.”
“These girls have really set the platform for the upcoming generations in India,” said Raj.
“They’ve opened up the channels for women’s cricket and they should be really proud of themselves. I have seen the changes the girls have made.
“Unlike 2005 (when Australia hammered India by 98 runs in the final at Centurion, South Africa), this went to the end.”
— With inputs from agencies
