When India’s women lifted the World Cup, the world saw the beautiful side of sport — joy, unity, and triumph. But just one match earlier, during India’s semifinal against Australia, the cameras captured something darker, the ugly side of fandom. Mitchell Starc cheering for Alyssa Healy was called “husband goals.” But when Anushka Sharma did the same for Virat Kohli, she was branded a jinx. This isn’t just hypocrisy — it’s a deep-rooted sexism hiding behind passion. And it’s not just in India — from Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, to Victoria Beckham and David Beckham, to Lewis Hamilton’s ex Nicole Scherzinger, women across the world have faced the same cruel narrative. We romanticise one love story and ridicule another. Why? Rupha Ramani looks at the double standards in sports.
