As the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 continues, millions of young girls are watching our cricket stars and dreaming of following in their footsteps. But while fans celebrate on field victories, parents may find an equally important lesson off the field. The stories of some of India’s top women cricketers show that long before the trophies and headlines, there were parents who were the biggest support system for them .Here are five lessons parents can learn from the families of these cricket stars.Love your child unconditionally, especially during difficult phasesIndian batter Jemimah Rodrigues has been candid about her struggles with anxiety despite her success on the field. During those difficult moments, it was the unconditional support of her parents, Ivan and Lavita Rodrigues, that kept her strong. Her father trained her from a very young age but his role was never limited to cricket. Jemimah has often credited her parents for helping her during emotional struggles. The lesson for parents is simple: children don’t just need support when they are winning.They need it even more when they are struggling.Teach children to stay grounded in both success and failureBefore every match, Indian star all-rounder Deepti Sharma carries a lesson from her mother. “Never let victory or defeat get to your head. Just keep moving forward.” The lesson feels particularly relevant today, as Deepti recently delivered one of the standout performances of the ongoing World Cup, taking a historic five-wicket haul against Pakistan. Children are often praised only for achievements and criticised for failures but Deepti’s mother’s message focuses on consistency. Parents need to teach their children that success is temporary, failure is temporary, but effort should be permanent.3. Don’t let society decide your child’s dreamsToday, Smriti Mandhana is one of the biggest names in women’s cricket. But her journey wasn’t free from criticism.Smriti has often spoken about how her parents Srinivas and Smita Mandhana stood firmly by her side when others questioned her choices. Some people even told them if she continued to play cricket it would be difficult to find a suitable marriage match. Instead of succumbing to social pressure, her parents decided to support their daughter’s passion. Smita Mandhana has an important message for mothers, “Let your child, let the girl be who she wants to be. Not only education, but sports are also important.The Mandhana family’s story is a reminder that children grow up best when parents think of their potential and not public opinion.Raise fearless and patient childrenIndian captain Harmanpreet Kaur often gives credit to her mother Satvinder Kaur for shaping her personality. Harmanpreet has often talked about how her mother taught her to be fearless and patient. She was very quiet as a child, but the lessons helped her develop the courage to chase her dreams and face challenges along the way.Fearlessness does not mean never feeling afraid. It means learning to move forward despite fear. Patience, meanwhile, teaches children that meaningful achievements take time.Trust your daughters and give them the freedom to growWicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh has emerged as one of India’s brightest young talents. And her father had a powerful message for parents everywhere. “Don’t doubt your daughters, give them wings.”Those few words capture a lesson that many families still struggle with. Sometimes, the biggest obstacle children face is not a lack of talent but a lack of trust.Children thrive when parents believe in their abilities, encourage exploration and allow them to pursue opportunities without constant fear and restriction.The common thread connecting all these stories is not just cricket, it is parenting too. These families did not simply raise successful athletes. They raised confident young women who learned resilience, humility, courage and self-belief. Sometimes, the most powerful thing a parent can say is not “be the best,” but simply, “I believe in you.”From Smriti Mandhana to Jemimah Rodrigues: 5 parenting lessons to take from the parents of India’s women cricket stars
As the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 continues, millions of young girls are watching our cricket stars and dreaming of following in their footsteps. But while fans celebrate on field victories, parents may find an equally important lesson off the field. The stories of some of India’s top women cricketers show that long before the trophies and headlines, there were parents who were the biggest support system for them .Here are five lessons parents can learn from the families of these cricket stars.Love your child unconditionally, especially during difficult phasesIndian batter Jemimah Rodrigues has been candid about her struggles with anxiety despite her success on the field. During those difficult moments, it was the unconditional support of her parents, Ivan and Lavita Rodrigues, that kept her strong. Her father trained her from a very young age but his role was never limited to cricket. Jemimah has often credited her parents for helping her during emotional struggles. The lesson for parents is simple: children don’t just need support when they are winning.They need it even more when they are struggling.Teach children to stay grounded in both success and failureBefore every match, Indian star all-rounder Deepti Sharma carries a lesson from her mother. “Never let victory or defeat get to your head. Just keep moving forward.” The lesson feels particularly relevant today, as Deepti recently delivered one of the standout performances of the ongoing World Cup, taking a historic five-wicket haul against Pakistan. Children are often praised only for achievements and criticised for failures but Deepti’s mother’s message focuses on consistency. Parents need to teach their children that success is temporary, failure is temporary, but effort should be permanent.3. Don’t let society decide your child’s dreamsToday, Smriti Mandhana is one of the biggest names in women’s cricket. But her journey wasn’t free from criticism.Smriti has often spoken about how her parents Srinivas and Smita Mandhana stood firmly by her side when others questioned her choices. Some people even told them if she continued to play cricket it would be difficult to find a suitable marriage match. Instead of succumbing to social pressure, her parents decided to support their daughter’s passion. Smita Mandhana has an important message for mothers, “Let your child, let the girl be who she wants to be. Not only education, but sports are also important.The Mandhana family’s story is a reminder that children grow up best when parents think of their potential and not public opinion.Raise fearless and patient childrenIndian captain Harmanpreet Kaur often gives credit to her mother Satvinder Kaur for shaping her personality. Harmanpreet has often talked about how her mother taught her to be fearless and patient. She was very quiet as a child, but the lessons helped her develop the courage to chase her dreams and face challenges along the way.Fearlessness does not mean never feeling afraid. It means learning to move forward despite fear. Patience, meanwhile, teaches children that meaningful achievements take time.Trust your daughters and give them the freedom to growWicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh has emerged as one of India’s brightest young talents. And her father had a powerful message for parents everywhere. “Don’t doubt your daughters, give them wings.”Those few words capture a lesson that many families still struggle with. Sometimes, the biggest obstacle children face is not a lack of talent but a lack of trust.Children thrive when parents believe in their abilities, encourage exploration and allow them to pursue opportunities without constant fear and restriction.The common thread connecting all these stories is not just cricket, it is parenting too. These families did not simply raise successful athletes. They raised confident young women who learned resilience, humility, courage and self-belief. Sometimes, the most powerful thing a parent can say is not “be the best,” but simply, “I believe in you.”
