Throwback: When A Bollywood Actress Let Go Of Her Ad Fees And Used Influence To Become 'Invisible Sponsor' Of The Indian Women's Cricket Team

On November 2, the whole nation celebrated and cheered after the historic victory of the Indian women's cricket team at the ICC Women's World Cup 2025 against South Africa. Congratulatory messages took over the internet, and the final winning moment became the talk of the town. The players received a heroic welcome on their return to their hometowns. However, long before such euphoric celebrations, India's women's cricket team struggled to stay afloat. Funds were limited, and the audience was sparse. At the time of such despair, help came from an unexpected source: Mandira Bedi.

Back in the early 2000s, Mandira Bedi had already cemented her name as a Bollywood and television actress. The 30-year-old also made a space for herself in cricket commentary, a field mainly dominated by males at the time. With her passion for the sport and a natural flair in front of the camera, Mandira became one of the first female faces of cricket broadcasting. However, she did much more for the sport than just that.

Limelight remained far elusive for the Indian women's cricket team before their inclusion in the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India). The players struggled to find sponsorship, making it difficult for them to play internationally, and sometimes they even had to pay out of their own pockets to manage resources for playing the matches. It was during this time that Mandira Bedi signed a big commercial advertisement for a diamond brand. The actress decided to donate her remuneration from the commercial, which eventually helped secure air travel for the Indian women's team players for the England tour.

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Recalling the challenging times, Nutan Gavaskar, former secretary of the Women’s Cricket Association of India (WCAI), once told PTI, “On another occasion, we had Mandira Bedi, who shot a commercial for a famous diamond brand. The entire endorsement fee she received, she donated to the WCAI. That money helped us arrange air tickets for India’s tour of England." Mandira, too, confirmed the same and assured that she will continue to help the team further. Speaking to the Telegraph, she said, “The money I would have taken for my endorsement will go towards the cricket sponsorship. There is another sponsor lined up for the next series."

As promised by her, Mandira's assistance was not limited to a one-time donation. From 2003 to 2005, the actress continued to use her influence to personally convince sponsors and secure funding for the women's cricket team. Her initial help as an ‘invisible sponsor' has come a long way in the future of women's cricket.

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After the team's historic victory in 2025, Mandira Bedi took to her social media account to congratulate the players. Sharing a video on her Instagram account, the Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge fame wrote in the caption, "I once stood on the sidelines of women’s cricket, humbled by its grit and grace." Her post has gone viral along with the lesser-known story of her contribution to the sport.