Shyam Bhatia’s book “Her Story, Her Glory”, written by Aditya Bhushan, launched

By K.R. Nayar 

At a time when the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is building towards its crescendo, a book that captures the soul of women’s cricket found its perfect stage. "Her Story, Her Glory: The Making of Women's Cricket in India" was launched at the iconic Cricket Club of India (CCI) in Mumbai on Thursday, June 25, 2026. It was another initiative by Dubai-based businessman and cricket enthusiast Shyam Bhatia, who backed author Aditya Bhushan as the presenter.

The book launch (from left) Ayaz Memon, Shyam Bhatia, Diana Edulji, Aditya  Bhushan 

Bhatia’s book launches are not just events—they are occasions where history breathes, speaks, and relives itself. This is Bhatia’s fifth book. His earlier works include Portrait of the Game (three editions) with the late Kishore Bhimani, and Sunny G with Debasish Dutta. But what sets Bhatia apart is not just the books—it is his instinct for moments. He chooses dates that echo with history and venues that carry memory. Launching this book on June 25—the day India lifted its first World Cup in 1983—was not coincidence, but deliberate.

The invitation for the book launch function

Bhatia has a close affinity with cricket history, and his museum is filled with tales from the game across nations. The beauty of his book releases lies in the stories that the greats narrate during the launch. The launch of Sunny G, held as part of Gavaskar’s 50 years in cricket and his 75th birthday celebrations, was filled with humorous tales narrated by Gavaskar himself.

Shyam Bhatia and Aditya Bhushan welcome Diana Edulji for the book launch 

When one wondered if the launch of a book on women’s cricket would have such tales, Diana Edulji, the chief guest, ensured that the evening sparkled with stories that were as powerful as they were personal. If the book tells the journey of women’s cricket, Edulji narrated the spirit behind it. The book also carries a foreword by the legendary Jhulan Goswami—a fitting tribute from one torchbearer to another.

Diana Edulji addresses the gathering

Edulji is not just a storyteller—she is a trailblazer. She is a pioneer who walked into spaces where women were once hesitant to step, and left doors open for generations to follow. As she spoke, the room did not just listen—it travelled with her. Her anecdotes were simply brilliant. From bowling to West Indies captain Clive Lloyd in the nets, to fighting bureaucratic indifference for Harmanpreet Kaur’s job in the Railways, her stories revealed a simple truth: progress in women’s cricket was never gifted—it was fought for.

Shyam Bhatia presents a copy of the book to Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Emirates Cricket Board 

“I was responsible for bringing her (Harmanpreet) from Punjab because Northern Railways was not able to give her a good job there. There was a lot of red tapism going on in that place,” said Edulji, who had persuaded Harmanpreet to shift to Mumbai. “I approached the great Sachin Tendulkar. I requested him if he could give me a letter asking the Railways to help Harman get a job. He immediately agreed, and I sent that letter to the Railway Board along with Harman’s application. To my surprise, the Railways rejected that letter. Then I picked up the phone and called Arvind Kumar, the Railway Board chairman. I said, ‘The God of cricket, the Bharat Ratna, the best cricketer we have had—if you say no to him, who will you say yes to?’”

What followed was that the chairman invited Edulji to Delhi to resolve the matter, and she ensured the outcome benefited more than just Harmanpreet. Along with Harman’s application, she added five more from international wrestlers and weightlifters. “Six applications were approved on that day.”

Shyam Bhatia speaks during the launch 

Edulji, who bowls left-arm spin, also narrated how, in 1974, she bowled to West Indies skipper Clive Lloyd at the nets at the CCI, where the book launch was held. She recalled he had played her first two deliveries gently back to her. Edulji challenged Lloyd telling him to play her according to her merit. Lloyd told her that she would be upset if he really did so, to which she replied that it was not a problem. “The next ball went out of the ground. That put me on the right track to improve my game,” she said.

Veteran cricket journalist Ayaz Memon introduced the book by reading out a paragraph which said: “The victory in the 2025 World Cup did not happen overnight. It was the culmination of the tireless efforts of generations of cricketers who refused to give up and went on to build the legacy.”

The back cover of the book 

Aditya Bhushan then narrated how he decided to write this book following a visit to Bhatia’s cricket museum in Dubai during a vacation. The book contains tales about the struggles of Indian women’s cricket, where players had to share cricket kits and sleep in dormitories during the 1970s. Bhushan had earlier written A Colonel Destined to Lead: A Detailed Biography of Col. CK Nayudu, Indian Cricket's First Test Captain, Fortune Turners (co-authored with Sachin Bajaj on India’s legendary spin quartet—Bedi, Prasanna, Chandrasekhar, and Venkataraghavan), Guts Amidst Bloodbath on Anshuman Gaekwad, and Fab Five, a book on five legendary Indian batters (Ganguly, Sehwag, Tendulkar, Laxman, and Dravid).

A short bio on Shyam Bhatia and Aditya Bhushan 

Bhatia, while addressing the large turnout—which included the legendary all-rounder Karsan Ghavri—said: “We are here not just for the launch of this book, but to celebrate the hard work and ambitious dreams of all the girls and women cricketers. It wasn’t easy for them to play the game, but the difficulties they had to go through were unbelievable.” During his speech, he lauded the efforts of journalists who bring stories from the game, securing interviews that are very tough to get. He then announced that his next book would be on journalists.

The CK Nayudu Hall was colourfully decorated with photos of Bhatia’s initiatives to spread the game around the world by distributing cricket kits and instituting his annual cricket awards for excellence in UAE cricket. Cricket coach Gopal Jasapara visualised the designing of the hall for the event.

This 272-page book has been published by Rupa Publications India.