Cricket: Mithali to lead Railways in upcoming domestic season

Kolkata: The Indian Railways on September 8, named the shortlisted candidates for the upcoming domestic season for both the senior and the U-23 women’s team. Indian skipper Mithali Raj would lead the senior women’s side with the hard-hitting Harmanpreet Kaur as her deputy and all other big names in Indian women’s cricket like Veda Krishnamurthy, Ekta Bisht and Sushma Verma among others have too features included in the list.

The Indian women’s cricket team, led by a charismatic Mithali almost made history in the Women’s World Cup in England this year. Their spirited show in the tournament won hearts all over and the contribution of the Indian Railways in this regard cannot be overlooked at any cost. Other than employing the players, they also provided them with time to focus on cricket and keep up with their fitness which helped them perform so brilliantly at the highest level.

Sunil Udasi (Image credit-Forever News)

The SportsCrunch had a telephonic conversation with Sunil Udasi, the Chief Public Relations Officer, Central Railways and the Chairman of the selection committee for the women’s cricket team of the Indian Railways who said that the contribution of the Railways have been, “immense” in the development of women’s cricket in India.

“The Railways are the only employers which employs women cricketers. We have more than 250 women players with us and and we also have around 50 U-23 players as well. So Indian Railways have around 300 women cricket players recruited from various zones. So you can say that the contribution of Railways is immense in women’s cricket. Others are not giving them employment,” he said.

He further added, “There are ten full fledged teams for zonal railways with 15-16 players in each team. Railways have recruited many a women cricketers. It is the only government organisation which is providing employment to the women cricketers.”

Udasi also said that the Railways allowed the women cricketers to focus on their training and fitness.

“We have a very dedicated training regime in the Railways. The top-most players are granted 330 special CL’s and we allow them to fully concentrate on their training and practices.”

After the World Cup, the Railways also awarded a sum of ₹1.30 crore to all ten cricketers from the team who are employed with them, besides announcing that Mithali Raj and Harmanpreet Kaur would become gazetted officers.

The Indian Railways, quite rightly has helped a lot in the rise of women’s cricket in India, the results of which was seen in the World Cup. One of the key figures of the Indian team was skipper Mithali Raj, who was scintillating with the bat. The highest run-getter in women’s ODI made her way to one hundred and three fifties and often came out to bat when the momentum was with the opposition.

Heaping praise on Raj, who will lead the Railways team as well, Udasi said, “She is the morale boosting player in the team. As you know, she has vast experience and she is also the highest run-getter in women’s ODI cricket. Such an experience is an added advantage for the budding women cricketers in the team.”

On Harmanpreet’s whirlwind knock against Australia in the semis, he said, “Playing in the Women’s Big Bash league in Australia shaped Harmanpreet Kaur for this format very well.”

After the World Cup, the craze for women’s cricket in India has hit new heights as there has been talks of organising a women’s ‘IPL’ which would help the players cope up with pressure.

He said, “I am of the view that women’s IPL should be there. The only problem is that the appropriate dates are not available. See, there is Big Bash, which is a big tournament for women cricketers, there is IPL, there is the domestic season and then there is the women’s international season. Starting a women’s IPL isn’t a big big but squeezing out dates for it is very difficult.”