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I was fourteen years old when India won the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2011. I still remember that day as if it were yesterday. My friends and I were watching the match together, and when Dhoni hit the ball into the pavilion for a six to win the match, one of my friends jumped so high that he hit the top of a doorframe and cut his forehead open. But we didn’t care. Our joy was complete. We couldn’t contain it. We ran into the streets where people had already come out with sweets and fireworks.
Cricket in India is more than just a sport — it is pastime, theatre, ritual, and religion, all at once. Streets fall silent when a match is on; shopkeepers turn their TVs outward; children dream of wearing the national colours someday. For decades, that dream had one gendered image: the men’s team. But the tide is turning. As the gender gap in global sports slowly narrows, the Indian Women’s Cricket Team has surged forward, breaking records and barriers despite limited support and infrastructure. The excitement for the ongoing Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 is a sign of the changing times.
In a first-of-its-kind initiative, Jaipur Rugs — one of India's largest manufacturers of hand knotted rugs — has unveiled a cricket pitch made entirely from 36 antique rugs. Valued at around $1 million, this layered masterpiece is a symbolic meeting point of heritage, skill, and contemporary sport. The project brings together master artisans, 24 semi-professional players from Udaipur, and Indian captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, demonstrating how tradition and modernity can intersect in the most extraordinary ways.
Every detail on the Jaipur Rugs Cricket Pitch tells a story about India’s love for the game. Red leather balls are embroidered with the Jaipur Rugs logo, while bats, wickets, and lawnmowers feature artisan motifs. Even the saris worn by the craftsmen feature borders dyed in Team India’s national blue. It’s a canvas where precision, culture, and sport meet. The pitch transforms each cricket match into a visual spectacle, highlighting the vibrant patterns, textures, and history embedded in every hand-knotted, silk, and hand-tufted rug.
The project celebrates the skills and indomitable spirit of Indian women, as well as India's rich craft and cultural heritage. India’s cricket frenzy has long centred around men’s matches, but the 2025 Women’s World Cup is shifting that story. By highlighting Harmanpreet Kaur alongside local artisans, Jaipur Rugs underscores the voices of women both on the pitch and within rural craft communities. It serves as a visual and symbolic statement: talent, skill, and heritage transcend gender, and excellence can be cultivated in every part of the country. In 2025, the game is more than just runs and wickets; it’s about linking worlds, weaving stories, and allowing India’s craft and cricket heritage to coexist.
