Goddess Mandhana: Chinese cricket fan travels to watch Indian women's team

As India batter Smriti Mandhana went about constructing her 45-ball 46 in the women's cricket final against Sri Lanka on a stuffy Monday evening, Wei Junyu drew curious glances from the media and a handful of Indian fans at the Pingfeng Campus Cricket Field. The reason, besides his vociferous cheering for the stylish Indian southpaw, was Wei's placard with an endearing message -- 'Mandhana The Goddess' -- written in English.

Given all that, a Chinese fan expressing admiration for an Indian cricketer came across as unusual(HT/ANI)

Although cricket development work has happened in China for at least a decade and a half, it is far from a popular sport in the country. Cricket's inclusion in the Hangzhou Asian Games has drawn some locals towards the sport. However, they say that there are no shops in the bustling metropolis that sell basic cricket equipment and the game is never telecast on cable.