The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the American multinational financial services corporation, Mastercard, have jointly released a new campaign named #HalkeMeinMattLo (don’t take it casually).
Through this campaign, the national cricket governing body of India aims to support gender equality on and off the field. The newly released campaign portrays the journey of some of the quality Indian women cricketers Harleen Kaur Deol, Renuka Singh and Shafali Verma, displaying their hard work, struggle and determination to prosper.
The main objective of this campaign is to break stereotypes by showcasing the accomplishments of women cricketers at both national and international levels. The campaign can be viewed during the T20I series between India and Australia Women from December 9-20, 2022.
Commenting on the campaign, Mr Jay Shah, Honorary Secretary, BCCI said, “India and Australia are among the top teams in world cricket and the contests between these teams have been quite thrilling. Each of their last few games has gone down to the wire and I am sure we will get to witness some top-quality cricketing action in Mumbai as the two teams meet again. We are happy to partner with Mastercard for the campaign, which will bring out the stories of hard work, sacrifices and dedication. We want to encourage young girls to pursue cricket as a passion and a career option.“
Julie Nestor, Senior Vice President and Head of Marketing & Communications, Asia Pacific, Mastercard, said, “Mastercard has been striving to make sports more inclusive globally. Cricket is the most celebrated sport in India. We commend the BCCI for its inclusive pay policy and are delighted to actively support women’s cricket as part of the overall sponsorship of the BCCI home series matches. Collaborating with the BCCI to promote women’s cricket is an extension of Mastercard’s larger commitment to address gender biases and encourage women’s participation in sports.“
Earlier this year, Mastercard acquired rights to be the title sponsor of all international fixtures conducted in India, and domestic competitions like the Ranji Trophy, Irani Trophy, and Duleep Trophy organized by the Indian cricket board.