Posted: Mon, Nov 14, 22 at 11:20pm Updated
Hyderabad: For 19-year-old Mamatha Madiwala, the news of being selected for the Senior Women’s Challenger Trophy, which will be held on November 20, is a big step towards realizing her dream of playing for her country.
The experience of rubbing shoulders with top domestic players and learning from them will help her go further, the young man feels.
Mamatha’s father, Veeresh, worked as a dhobi and caretaker at an apartment in Alwal, while her mother, Bhagya, worked as a maid. Despite financial difficulties, the youngster has been making his mark on the game. Mamatha impressed everyone with her skills in the recently concluded Senior Women’s T20 Trophy representing Hyderabad.
She has been selected for India’s C team, which will be led by Indian cricketer Pooja Vastrakar. With Richa Ghosh the primary goalkeeper, Mamatha is eager to learn from the veteran pro and is ready to give his best when the opportunity arises.
“When I get to mingle with the players in the Indian team, it will be a huge boost to play in this game. The prospect of brushing shoulders with them is very exciting in itself. I am nervous and excited for the opportunity, ’ said the cricketer.
“I want to prove myself whenever I get the chance. I want to know how the top players play, how they train and everything that makes me a better cricketer,” said an excited Mamatha.
Richa started playing cricket with his father in the small streets of Alwar when he was 14. “I used to play cricket with my dad. He saw my interest and took me to Gymkhana for tryouts. He taught me the game first and that’s why he was my first inspiration.”
She was drafted by the under-16 national team and has not looked back since. “When I played for the national under-19 team in 2019, Mr Chamundi (V Chamundeswa-ranath) saw me at the net and encouraged me. He started training me for the past two years,” she explained .
“Mr. Chamundi was very helpful. Whenever we faced financial difficulties, he helped us. He even arranged an auto rickshaw from my house to Ramanaidu Cricket Academy in Madharpur every day. He Pay Rs 20,000 for a motor vehicle,” he said.
Mamatha, who adores Smriti Mandhana, dreams of wearing the India jersey. “My dream is to play for the country. I am also very happy that the women’s IPL is about to start. It will provide us with a great platform to showcase our talents,” added the Vandana College B.Com sophomore.
A tough hitter, Mamatha has excelled in the Under-19 T20 Championship. “I spent three and a half centuries in the U-19 T20 tournament. But I couldn’t show my batting skills in the senior team because I didn’t hit the ball higher in the batting order.”
“She is a dedicated cricketer with tremendous talent. I am sure she will be one of the best wickets in the country in the future. She works hard and has a lot of passion. In the recent T20 tournament, she There was not a single concession,” Chamundeswaranath said.
Mamatha, who also recently served at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), hopes the Challenger trophy will enhance her game and career.
