Overview
- Former WCAI secretary Nutan Gavaskar told PTI that Bedi donated her entire endorsement fee from a diamond-brand commercial, money used to buy air tickets for a tour of England.
- Between 2003 and 2005, Bedi personally approached companies to secure sponsorships for the women’s team, according to accounts cited by Hindustan Times.
- Ex-India player and WCAI official Shubhangi Kulkarni said corporate interest grew once Bedi took up the cause and began soliciting backers.
- The reports place Bedi’s efforts in a period when the WCAI, which ran women’s cricket from 1973 to 2006, struggled for funds and players sometimes covered travel costs.
- Bedi, an early female face of cricket broadcasting who faced criticism at the time, recently saluted the champions with a handwritten Instagram note after the 2025 title win.