[2] In Lucknow, Mahendra Kumar Sharma began organising softball and handball tournaments for school and college girls in the city.
[3][4] The Women's Cricket Association of India (WCAI) was registered in Lucknow in 1973 under the Societies Act, with Sharma as the founder secretary.
Chandra Tripathi and Premala Chavan became the chairperson and president of the WCAI respectively, alongside founder secretary Sharma.
[1] The WCAI was granted membership of the International Women's Cricket Council (IWCC) in 1973, and was recognized by the Government of India in 1978.
[1] The first international women's cricket match in India was held on 7 February 1975 against the touring Australian under-25 team.
Ujwala Nikam, Sudha Shah and Shreeroopa Bose captained the Indian team in the three matches respectively.
[1][7] The first women's Test series in India was held in November 1976, when the West Indies toured the country.
[9] Due to the international boycott of South Africa, the 1978 Women's Cricket World Cup was shifted to India.
The WCAI made a successful bid, and served as the primary organiser, with the IWCC providing only limited oversight.