It was a momentous occasion for Tamil Nadu cricketer S.B. Keerthana on Saturday as she bagged her first Women’s Premier League contract when Mumbai Indians shelled out Rs. 10 lakh for her at the player auction in Mumbai.
The 23-year-old leg-spinner has been in good form after taking 12 wickets for TN in the recently concluded senior women’s T20 tournament.
“It feels good to be part of a competition like the WPL. It is one of the biggest platforms for women’s cricket, and to be part of a team like Mumbai Indians is great,” said Keerthana in a chat with The Hindu.
“I attended the trials for MI this year and did well. So I was quietly confident, but until you get it, you are never sure,” she said about her feelings before the auction.
Encouraging
On being selected by the defending champion and her expectations from the tournament, Keerthana said, “The way they (the MI team) spoke to me, even during the trials, showed how good a team it was. They suggested ways to improve and were encouraging when you did something well.”
“The team has some of the best cricketers from their respective countries, like Amelia Kerr, Nat Sciver-Brunt and even the Indian captain (Harmanpreet Kaur). So I am looking forward to learning from them,” she added.
Incidentally, Keerthana is the first current TNCA player to get a WPL contract, and she hopes it inspires more cricketers from the state. Indian cricketer D. Hemalatha, who started her career with TN, has been part of the WPL since last year but shifted to Railways three years ago.
“There are a lot of good cricketers with great skills, and the TNCA has been doing a lot for women’s cricket in recent times. I am not happy I am the only one from TN because I want more of us to be part of the WPL. I hope this inspires more girls,” added Keerthana.
