AS ANTICIPATION MOUNTS for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup India 2025, Bollywood star Akshay Kumar has joined the call to unite the nation behind the Women in Blue.
In a video with JioStar, the actor urged fans to bring the same energy and enthusiasm to women’s cricket as they do to the men’s game. Reflecting on his own journey as a supporter, Kumar recalled travelling by train from Scotland to witness the 2017 World Cup final — a moment he says forever changed his perspective on the sport.
Holding vice-captain Smriti Mandhana’s No. 18 jersey in the clip, Akshay underscored the idea that whether it carries Virat Kohli’s name or Mandhana’s, the jersey symbolises the same.
He said, “I still remember the 2017 World Cup final. I took a train from Scotland and went to the stadium to watch the final. That’s when I saw the passion of our women’s cricket team. Why did I go? Because that’s when I understood that there’s no gender in cricket. There’s only one jersey, one passion, and one team. Team India. We usually cheer for the men’s team. But the real support will come when we cheer for our women’s team as much as we cheer for the men’s team. The real fan is the one who stands with every player, whether it’s a man or a woman. This is the sign of the real blue. ‘Jersey Wahi, Jazba wahi!'”
