Sixteen-year-old Preston Hollow resident Aashna Jain hated the cricket uniform.
As the daughter of Anurag Jain, who co-founded the U.S. League and Texas Super Kings in 2023, Jain knows the ins and outs of the sport. She also understands the problem many cricket female athletes face when buying their uniforms. White and transparent uniforms that stain easily, boxy and loose pants and minimal sizing options.
Jain saw an opportunity to fix the problem in female cricket uniforms by partnering with Maiden Cricket U.K., a cricket apparel and equipment brand designed to provide women and girls with suitable clothing and sport products, to launch Maiden Cricket U.S.
On Sept. 8, Jain’s company served as the founding apparel and equipment partner of the inaugural Seattle Orcas Women’s T20 Exhibition.
What brought you to cricket, and what was your first impression of it?
Aashna: When I was younger, my parents dragged me to a cricket game, and I just fell in love with the sport. Cricket means a lot to me because I actually hated sports as a kid. But cricket always felt so different from other sports. It was gentler and based more on precision than on being the biggest and strongest.
When did you first realize that women and girls were often using equipment and uniforms designed for boys?
Aashna: When I first learned about Maiden Cricket and what the company was doing in the U.K., I realized that uniforms weren’t specifically made for women but were usually just sized down from men’s options. Obviously, I got really angry about that. I thought it made a lot of sense to have uniforms specifically designed for women that also help them feel more comfortable and like they belong in cricket.
Watching women’s cricket grow over the years also helped me realize that there still needs to be an option out there that works for women and helps them feel empowered.
I feel like, in a lot of sports, women can sometimes feel like they don’t belong, especially if their uniforms don’t fit properly. I hope Maiden helps girls feel like they’re being taken more seriously as athletes and that they actually have a place where they belong.
How did you first connect with Maiden?
Aashna: We connected a couple of months ago. I found Maiden, and we started talking with some of the people in the U.K. who run the company. My dad and I were both really interested in its mission and how it connected to women’s sports.
A lot of our conversations focused on bringing Maiden to the U.S. because the brand was already established in the U.K. We discussed how cricket is growing in the U.S. and how women’s cricket could gain more visibility in the future. We saw an opportunity for Maiden to help support that growth.
What has been one of the most exciting parts of working with the brand?
Aashna: Maiden Cricket U.S. recently sponsored a tournament for the Seattle Orcas, one of the teams in Major League Cricket, that featured a women’s cricket exhibition match. A group of new women’s cricketers got to play, and it was exciting to see people come out and experience women’s cricket for the first time.
Another exciting part has been seeing Maiden’s Instagram account come to life and its social media presence grow, especially during the Seattle Orcas tournament. It was great to see Maiden’s logo displayed throughout the event and hear everyone’s feedback about how well the uniforms fit.
Tell me about the uniforms. What makes them different?
Aashna: One of the most important features of our uniforms is that the pants are double-lined. A lot of cricket uniforms are white, which can be an issue for women, especially during their periods. A lot of men’s uniforms can be quite transparent, so it’s great to have pants that provide more coverage. The cut is also different. Instead of being super loose and boxy, the uniforms are designed to fit women better.
What do you hope women and girls feel when they see that clothing and equipment are now designed specifically for them?
Aashna: I really hope they feel like people care about them in their sport and that they’re being taken seriously. I feel like it can be easy for women athletes to feel like they’re not being taken seriously. I hope they feel like this is something they can do.
Are there any athletes who inspired you growing up?
Aashna: One of my favorite athletes I’ve watched recently is Jemimah Rodrigues. She plays for the India women’s team, and she helped India win its first Women’s World Cup. Seeing her break through as an athlete really helped me understand that this is happening and that women’s cricket is taking off.
How do you balance all of this with school?
Aashna: It definitely is a lot. There’s a lot of stuff that I do, but I think a lot of high schoolers are naturally busy nowadays, and I don’t think I’m much different from other people.
I also have a huge love for engineering and robotics. I love building and creating and getting to work with my hands. I have a service project where I’m helping underprivileged third and fourth graders learn more about STEM and hopefully get them interested in it. I’m currently volunteering at Vogel Alcove.
When did you first realize that your daughter had such a passion for business and an interest in addressing this problem in cricket?
Anurag: I realized she had a passion for business when she started buying toys that looked strange to me and saying, “This is the next big thing.” I would look at them, and they looked strange. They were called Squishmallows, which you’ve probably heard of by now. Three or four years ago, I’d never heard of them.
She was able to buy them cheaply and sell them online for a much higher price. She identified the trend right when it was taking off. The same thing happened with another strange-looking toy called a Labubu. She had this knack for recognizing where trends were going and what was happening.
The third thing was that I’m a cricket lover. I’m embarrassed to tell you that three years ago, I couldn’t name a woman cricketer in the world. Aashna came to us and said, “You know what? You should be looking at women’s cricket.” She told us about the players, and we watched women’s cricket and fell in love with it to the point that we flew to London to watch the finals of the T20 World Cup, which was amazing. She was the one who pointed out to us that women’s cricket was growing.
What was going through your mind as she transitioned from selling Squishmallows and Labubus to pursuing cricket?
Anurag: For me, I’m a proud dad. It’s incredibly heartening to watch someone who is kind and humble but also has business acumen. I also think the world is changing so fast that large corporations should have 16-year-old consultants because they look at the world differently.
When I give her a problem or talk about problems in my work or life, she has a different perspective.
For me, it’s a recognition that younger people shouldn’t be misunderstood or overlooked because their views are different and valid.
How would you describe your daughter as an entrepreneur?
Anurag: She’s an out-of-the-box thinker to the point where the box doesn’t exist. She’s able to see things that I’m not able to see. She’s also a very good leader, which is something she doesn’t fully realize yet. The way she works with younger people at Vogel Alcove or at her school is the essence of an entrepreneur.
What do you hope this experience will teach her?
Anurag: The most important thing is to embrace your passion and live it fully. I don’t know if I was able to do that at a younger age. Secondly, whether this is if this is successful or not, a success is great. A failure is also great. It’s OK to experience failure early in life.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
