The 2026 Women’s Premier League wrapped up with Royal Challengers Bengaluru lifting the trophy last night. The season had plenty to cheer about, but social media couldn’t resist getting distracted by looks instead of talent. I thought sport was meant to be about skills and temperament. Not sure when the qualification shifted to skin tone, abs, dimples, or smiles.
RCB’s Lauren Bell and Smriti Mandhana were popular among fans on social media. But far too much attention was on appearances rather than on-field achievements. The dark side of it was evident as Gujarat Giants’ Bharti Fulmali became the target of cruel mockery over her ‘not-so-feminine’ looks.
15 balls 36 runs with 240 strike rate🥵🥵
What an innings from Bharti Fulmali
This is what men's power looks like in women's cricket 💪💪 #WPL2026 https://t.co/CQ629VTu8g pic.twitter.com/sX4gxur4s7
— sports addict (@sportsaddictttt) January 13, 2026
Some commentators even questioned her gender, and such comments left a personal toll on the cricketer.
“It feels really bad when people question you based on your looks and your personality. It’s very difficult, because I’ve been seeing this for the last three years, ever since I came into the WPL. There are a lot of comments, and most of them are negative,” Fulmali said.
One of the comments read, “I cleaned my screen with Collins [glass cleaner] after the match.”
“Still confuse who is he/she/gay?” read another comment.
This isn’t trivial nitpicking. It’s a pattern that distracts from actual athletic achievement.
Also read: WPL changing cricket crowd culture. Kids in stands scream Jemimah, men now say ‘batswoman’
Keep appearances out of sports
Sports aren’t a runway show. They’re contests of skill, endurance, strategy and mental grit. And despite milestones like WPL viewership and Mandhana’s record‑breaking century run, too many online voices treat athletes like fashion models. They reduce a batter’s brilliance to how closely she resembles a beauty standard, overlooking the bat speed, timing, and tactical acumen that fuel runs and wins.
The fixation on looks isn’t limited to women either. India’s own Rohit Sharma has repeatedly faced body‑shaming remarks about his weight, even after smashing runs and leading the side with consistency. Former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar was blunt in his rebuttal, “If you want only slim guys, then go to a modelling competition.”
The ability to play the sport should be the only thing that matters.
Similarly, when Prithvi Shaw hit a sensational double century in England’s List A competition, social media chatter swiftly pivoted from praise to jibes about his weight and hairline. A player’s physique or grooming shouldn’t dwarf his sport achievement, especially when the performance itself rewrites record books.
But these distractions continue to grab views because our digital forums reward cheap digs and clickbait commentary. A user can get more attention by mocking an athlete’s looks than by analysing their strike rate or bowling economy. This is a structural problem with how we consume sports culture.
Let’s take a step back and ask ourselves a question. Why should appearance matter at all in a sportsperson’s assessment? The fundamental purpose of sport is to perform, test physical and mental limits, strategise under pressure, and excel among fellow players. None of these objectives has anything to do with features or looks or skin colour or ‘Instagram‑worthy’ looks.
We should celebrate players like Mandhana not because she fits a societal beauty mould, but because she consistently scores runs, leads her team and inspires a generation of girls. When Mandhana attended an event wearing a halter-neck white gown, the internet didn’t spare her either. She was bodyshamed for her athletic biceps.
The same biceps she used last night to smash 15 boundaries, including three sixes, in the final bout against Delhi Capitals.
Now, social media isn’t going away, and you cannot school everyone. But as spectators, analysts, and cricket fans, we can shift where we focus our energy. We can champion cricketing feats rather than scrutinise physiques. We can promote quotes that highlight excellence, like Gavaskar’s reminder that sport isn’t a modelling contest, over snarky memes about appearance.
Sports are about the game. If we adjusted our gaze to match, we would honour not just the spirit of competition but the people who sustain it with blood and sweat.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)