Indian women’s cricket team vice-captain and batting sensation, Smriti Mandhana, opened up about her cricketing journey and the challenges she faced in becoming a professional cricketer.
India Women’s star opener Shrinivas Mandhana and her brother Shravan played cricket at the district level for Sangli, Maharashtra. Having watched cricket from childhood, she was already intending to become a cricketer, but the journey was not that easy.
The 27-year-old cricketer had recently appeared on the quiz reality show ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ along with Indian wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan, where she revealed many things about herself.
Speaking on the KBC show, Mandhana revealed that people used to taunt her parents, saying no one would marry her if she got tanned, but they didn’t distract and allow her to fulfill her dream.
The show host, Bollywood icon Amithabh Bachchan asked Mandhana: “You must have faced many challenges with regard to the sport. How did you overcome them? What kind of challenges were they?”
To which she replied by saying, “Sir, when I began playing women's cricket, I mostly had to practice with boys - because not too many girls played cricket back then. So, I think... But I wish to give the credit to my parents. They didn't let any of this get to me. They gave me complete freedom.”
Hearing that Bachchan lauded her parents and said: “Wow! That's lovely. Congratulations to both of you. These are modern views. Women deserve equal predominance and opportunities as their male counterparts.”
Then, Mandhana said, “My parents were taunted by the people - 'If she gets tanned, no one will marry her.' But the best thing was, they never let me bear the brunt. They allowed me to play.”
Amitabh signed off by saying, “That's just wonderful.”
(With TOI/PTI Inputs)
