Mumbai Cricket Association: Growing up in the narrow lanes of Dharavi in Mumbai, one of the world’s largest slums, making a career out of cricket seemed far-fetched for Simran Shaikh, the all-rounder who was roped in by Gujarat Giants for WPL 2025 at a staggering paycheck of Rs 1.9 crore.
Now playing WPL 2025 and after winning the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy title with Mumbai, Simran reflected on International Women’s Day and how female athletes plus the ecosystem around them can help them make the world a better place and excel on the field.
“I would like to say that whatever you do, as a sports person, you should work hard, and support your parents. They will support you a lot. I also feel that there should be more support towards our women’s team. Also, people do need to do the needful to fulfill all the facilities women need like washrooms, changing rooms, etc. Fulfill all of that and support us,” said Simran in an exclusive conversation with IANS.
Simran’s journey to playing cricket professionally wasn’t always smooth -her path was carved through relentless dedication, overcoming societal norms, and unwavering family support. Simran’s tryst with sports began in her school, but it was cricket where she found her true calling.
“I started playing cricket when I was in school. I started playing sports when my teacher used to take me to play. My PT teacher helped me a lot. He gave me a lot of support and used to say that I should focus more on sports than studies. I used to participate in dodgeball and volleyball competitions.”
“Then I used to play cricket with boys, and picked up a bat immediately. On seeing that, the teacher was impressed and gave me the idea that I have a good career in sports. He told me to choose one sport and continue with it. So I chose cricket as I continued my practice and used to play gully cricket a lot. Since then, my interest in cricket has increased,” she recalled.
Coming from a large family with three brothers and four sisters, Simran acknowledges the crucial role her family played in her journey, as well as of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), despite challenges aplenty.
“The association has been very good. My family supports me a lot. I have three brothers and four sisters. I got a lot of support and freedom from them, as our Muslim girls did not get a lot of freedom. When I started, my brother also started playing cricket. He then left the sport due to studies, but I continued playing cricket.”
“When I was a child, I used to play gully cricket. I used to get hit by a ball. I used to get into fights with my mother. It used to bother me a lot. When I was not getting good scores previously, I used to be feeling bad. When the domestic season started, I practiced a lot. I worked hard on my fitness and my game.”
Simran hasn’t been able to replicate her great form in Senior Women’s T20 Trophy in WPL 2025, but she is now focused on proving herself on the big stage with support from her Gujarat Giants skipper Ashleigh Gardner.
“I was nervous because I didn’t play well in the matches. But now I just want to play well and show what I can do, something which I work hard on in practice. I just want to play well and show what I can do.”
Simran hasn’t been able to replicate her great form in Senior Women’s T20 Trophy in WPL 2025, but she is now focused on proving herself on the big stage with support from her Gujarat Giants skipper Ashleigh Gardner.
Article Source: IANS
