One of the surprise packages in the Indian women’s squad for the tour of Bangladesh is Minnu Mani. Her selection, in the T20 squad, is truly remarkable. It is for the first time that a Kerala cricketer is making it to the senior Indian women’s team.
Kerala may be one of the powerhouses of Indian sports, having produced some of the country’s biggest stars in disciplines like athletics, football and volleyball, but it cannot boast that many huge achievements in cricket, though things are fast changing. In men’s cricket, only four have played for India so far – Tinu Yohannan, S. Sreesanth, Sanju Samson and Sandeep Warrier.
Kerala is no longer the pushover it used to be for decades in men’s cricket. Kerala’s female cricketers are making rapid progress, too. Minnu has been one of the reasons for that.
