From winning only two medals at the 2016 Olympics to outshining male athletes at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, India’s women athletes have begun to lead the charge in many sports over the years.
They’ve been raising the bar with every passing tournament and have let their skills do the talking on the field. Now, not only are these women athletes cementing their legacy in sports, they are also stirring up quite a buzz online.
Here is a list of most-followed Indian women athletes on Twitter.
1. Sania Mirza – 9.1 Million
With roughly 9.1 million followers, tennis star Sania Mirza is the most followed Indian women athlete on Twitter. A former world No 1 in the doubles discipline, she has won six Grand Slam titles in her career.
2. Saina Nehwal – 8.4 Million
The former World No1 badminton player Saina Nehwal currently has over 8.4 million followers on Twitter. The 29-year-old is quite active on social media and tweets about various topics, ranging from sports to politics.
3. PV Sindhu – 2.7 Million
Badminton sensation PV Sindhu secured one of the two medals for India at the 2016 Olympics. Sindhu was also the top searched athlete on Google India in 2016. The world No 3 player Sindhu currently has roughly 2.7 million followers on Twitter.
4. Jwala Gutta – 1.5 Million
A retired left-handed badminton player, best known as a doubles specialist, Jwala Gutta represented India at various international competitions from the late 1990s till 2017.
The badminton star currently has over 1.5 million stars on Twitter.
During the Telangana Assembly polls in December 2018, Gutta was one of the more vocal users on Twitter, expressing displeasure with the Election Commission after her name mysterious disappeared from the voter list.
5. Mary Kom – 1.4 Million
The Indian boxing legend has roughly 1.4 million followers on Twitter. The six-time World Amateur Boxing champion was also nominated as a member of the Rajya Sabha in 2016.
6. Mithali Raj – 688.8 K
With over 6 lakh followers, Mithali Raj is the most-followed female cricketer on Twitter.
The 36-year-old, who has already broken several records on the pitch, can be regularly seen on Twitter sharing stories of other female athletes.
7. Ashwini Ponnappa – 650.3 K
The ace shuttler, who is best known for her partnership with Jwala Gutta, has won several medals for India including gold at 2010 Ashwini Ponnappa.
Ponnappa has backed the country's #MeToo movement saying it is important to stand by the women sharing their experiences.
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