Meet GS Lakshmi, India's pride, at Women's Cricket World Cup final 2022

Match referee GS Lakshmi was India's pride at the Women's Cricket World final 2022 between Australia and England. The Rajahmundry-native is also a woman of many firsts and has an incredible journey.

GS Lakshmi was the match referee of Women World Cup final in 2022 (Courtesy: icc.com)
By Master Administrator | Apr 4, 2022 | 2 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

GS Lakshmi was India’s pride in the Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022 as she officiated the summit clash between Australia and England on Sunday at the Hagley Oval, Christchurch as the match referee. 

The Rajahmundry-native is, more importantly, a woman of many firsts. She was the first woman ever in the Emirates ICC International Panel of Match Referees in May 2019. Later, in December 2019, she would make history by becoming the first female match referee to oversee a men’s ODI with the opening match of the third series of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 between hosts United Arab Emirates (UAE) and United States of America (USA).

READ MORE: Women’s Cricket World Cup: Australia beat England to lift record seventh World Cup

Birth and family

Laskhmi was born in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh on 23 May 1968. However, she grew up and pursued her academics in Jamshedpur while her father was working for the Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company. 

Foray into cricket

Lakshmi was always a keen sports enthusiast and took very little interest in studies. She started playing cricket in Jamshedpur and was denied admission to a women’s college due to her poor results. 

That is when her father would insist her to opt for sport’s quota in other colleges and she did at the Jamshedpur Women’s College where she also represented their team as a fast bowler. 

However, in a few years from then, she moved to Hyderabad after securing a job with South Central Railway in 1989 and began playing for the South Central Railways cricket team. 

Selection for India women’s team and retirement 

Lakshmi represented Andhra Women, Bihar Women, Railways Women, East Zone Women and South Zone Women in her domestic cricket career between 1989 and 2004.

She, however, took a sabbatical from the game after a marriage before returning back to action with the South Central Railways team. The former Andhra Pradesh cricketer was also selected in the India women’s team squad for their tour of England in 1999 but failed to get a single game.

Lakshmi would, later, decide to retire from the game in 2004. 

Enter coaching and refereeing career 

Post-retirement, Lakshmi, would serve as the coach of South Central Railways team until 2014. She started officiating in domestic cricket from 2008 and was later recommended by the Board of Control For Cricket in India (BCCI) to International Cricket Council (ICC) for appointment as International Panel of Match Referees in 2018.