From hand-to-mouth situations to Kerala floods, Minnu Mani has fought all odds to keep cricket close to her heart. She has envisioned earning a living from playing her dearest sport to buy a scooter. An opportunity to play for TATA WPL alongside star batters like Meg Lanning, Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues among others has come at the right time for Minnu Mani.
A tribal girl from Kerala and belonging to a very humble background, Minnu is the first woman from the State to have been selected for TATA WPL. Minnu’s father is a daily-wage worker and her mother is a homemaker.
Minnu’s cricket days started at the age of 10. She started playing with her cousins and local boys in the paddy fields. Her interest took the serious gear in Grade 8 of High School.
Everyone around Minnu discouraged her to play cricket. She was told that cricket is a sport meant for boys. The financial stress added to her list of obstacles. Her parents too, discouraged her to pick up the bat. But Minnu fondly remembers all the convincing that went behind pursuing cricket not just as a hobby but as a long-term career.
Nevertheless, Minnu’s fight hasn’t been an easy one. To date, she wakes up at 4 am to prepare meals with her mom. Then, she has to switch four buses to reach the cricket ground to get a day full of practice. By the time she’s back home in the late evening, she is left with no energy for anything else only to repeat the entire schedule the next day. But her dedication keeps driving her towards achieving her goals.
The 23-year-old has been in good form of late going in the TATA WPL auctions. Representing South Zone in Senior Women’s Inter-Zonal One-Day tournament, she has hit a couple of match-winning knocks for her team.
The upcoming opportunity to represent Delhi Capitals at the TATA Women’s Premier League is a testament to Minnu’s undying commitment and hard work towards the sport. Her all-round performances are sure to enthral the crowd. TATA WPL will not only bring in monetary gains to her family but also the recognition that will boost her morale in the years to come.Â
