KOCHI: Minnu Mani might have only turned 16 years on Tuesday, but according to her coaches and teammates, she holds a lot of promise and is destined to one day play for the Indian national women’s cricket team. Many of them also feel that day is on the horizon.
But for Minnu herself, that she would play for India soon is not a foregone conclusion. “Many players I meet say I am going to play for India one day. I also hope so, but my first objective is to get selected for the Women’s Challenger Trophy within a couple of years,” says Minnu.
At 15, Minnu, a left-hand batsman and right-arm off break bowler, represented Kerala in the senior, under-19 and under-16 categories last season and also went on to be picked in the India under-19 south zone team for the inter-zone championship held at Guwahati in February this year.
“I was the first reserve for the south zone team last time. This year my target is to break into the starting eleven,” emphasises Minnu, full of confidence talking of the future. She is also proud when she says that she now contributes some of her match fee to her family consisting of father, mother and a younger sister.
It was always cricketing moments, especially one in which Yuvraj Singh hit Stuart Broad for six sixes in a single over, that left a distinct mark on Minnu as a young girl growing up in her village near Mananthavady in Wayanad district.
Her interest in the game grew over time and soon she would join the boys near her home who played cricket it the fields nearby. When securing an admission to the eighth standard, she managed to convince her father that she wanted to join the Government HSS in Mananthavady that promoted women’s cricket.
Soon she would enter the Kerala Cricket Association’s (KCA) women’s cricket academy in Thodupuzha and then to their facility in Wayanad.
She was a slow starter, but we could see vast improvement in her game from the second year onwards,” says Soniya Mol T P, her coach at Thodupuzha.
Her current coach, V C Anu Ashok, says that Minnu still has a long way to improve. And the protege acknowledges it. “I am pleased with my bowling and fielding, but am still weak playing off the back foot. I would like to improve on that area,” Minnu adds.
Having played a starring role in Kerala’s progress to the final of the schools nationals last year where they finished second best to Punjab, the youngster holds the coaches at the KCA academies in high regard.
“They point out the mistakes I make as many times as I can get them right,” she says.
Minnu, who keeps a close eye on India’s exploits at the international stage is now hoping that M S Dhoni and Ravindra Jadega -- two players she idolises the most in the men’s game -- will lift a third World Cup for the country. Among women, it is Indian captain Mithali Raj who is Minnu’s favourite.