India Women cricketer Priya Punia has recently won many hearts with her bold yet laudable step to join the national team in Mumbai on Wednesday (May 19) days after losing her mother due to COVID-19 for the upcoming multi-format tour of England next month.
She alongside both men’s and women’s cricketers will spend 14 days in quarantine in Mumbai before flying to England on June 2. They will also be put in 10-day isolation on arrival in the UK.
The elegant right-hand batter is one of the promising young players of the Indian women’s cricket team and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has on Wednesday handed a Grade C contract to Punia for the 2021-2022 season. She will travel to the UK with the Indian team to play 3 ODIs, a one-off Test, and 3 T20Is next month against England Women with the tour set to kick start on June 16 at Bristol.
Following her mother’s demise, Priya has decided to honor her professional commitments and her father Surendra Punia revealed that he cited the example of India captain Virat Kohli – who also went through the same pain, but he chose to play cricket after his father’s death and now he is one of the greats of the game – and encouraged her to make the trip of England.
He further revealed that the young opener promised him that she would not miss “professional commitment” and would play for India in the multi-format series against England Women.
Priya’s father told Times of India, “I inspired Priya. I told her that Virat Kohli had gone to play Ranji Trophy after his father’s death. This is a very difficult time for us, but we need to be mentally strong. There will be many occasions in life when you have to fight challenges and move forward. Priya understands this and she told me that, Papa I am ready to represent India.”
On his wife Saroj, who passed away after battling with COVID-19 recently, Surendra said: “She was doing fine, but after oxygen supply disturbance, her oxygen level dropped and had to be put on ventilator support. But we couldn’t save her.”
He signed off by saying that it is a difficult time for his family but he has asked everyone to be mentally strong as “life will always test you.”
(With TOI Inputs)
