Star Sport’s campaign for ICC Women’s World T20 2018 bats for the girl child

Star Sports, the official broadcaster of the ICC Women’s World T20, has come up with a heartwarming campaign for this year’s tournament that makes a strong case for empowering the girl child. Conceptualised by the Star Sports’ creative team, the film captures the narrative of a girl who wants to play cricket, but is denied the opportunity at first, until she decides to take initiative and show her ability to the world. 

The TVC, shot in Kashmir, highlights the emotions that girls across the world go through when it comes to stereotypes attached to playing sports. From being picked in the local Sunday team or getting the opportunity to play, girls are often left out, despite possessing the skills to compete. 

Built on the core thought of letting the bat do the talking, “Ab inka balla bolega”, the campaign drives home the fact that anyone can excel at the world stage if given the right platform and opportunity, as seen by the ‘Women in Blue’ and their breakout run at the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017.

The TVC has captured the hearts of millions already and has acquired more than 7 million cumulative views across Star Sports’ social and digital platforms. The film has also been widely liked, shared and spoken about by fans across India which is a testament to the belief that women have an important role to play as role models when it comes to shaping tomorrow’s world. 

Watch the film:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1fcq4u9iK0

Apart from the TVC, the campaign also urges people to encourage talent with an equal lens, irrespective of gender in every sphere of life, by launching the #GiftABat movement. This will not only inspire more women to take up sports, but to also get their families on board to support their dreams. 

The idea stems from the fact that while a cricket bat is a very common gift for boys, it never features as a gifting idea for girls. There is no time like now to break this norm, and that is what this movement aims to do. It hopes to break gender stereotypes and bring about a change in society’s mindset when it comes to women and sports. Here, the “Bat” symbolises opportunity or a platform or even a tool for the girl to prosper in the field she chooses to. 

The Indian women’s team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, started off win a win against New Zealand in their opening game of the tournament on Friday, November 09, 2018. The ‘Women in Blue’ also scored a convincing win against Pakistan in their second match of the tournament. India, New Zealand, Australia, Ireland and Pakistan are the teams placed in the same group. 

The matches are being aired on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 HD and Hotstar, starting 8.30 pm.