Minnu Mani becomes first Kerala woman cricketer to play for India, her town huddles to stream match on YouTube

As India and Bangladesh women’s cricket teams were preparing for the first T20I in Mirpur Sunday noon, far away at Mananthavady in Kerala’s Wayanad drict, the Mani household suddenly came alive. Relatives and neighbours huddled around the verandah. Local MLA O R Kelu, municipal councillors and news channels were all in attendance. The moment the hilly town had been waiting for was around the corner. Minnu Mani, the pride of Wayanad, was about to make hory, becoming the first Kerala woman cricketer to play for the India senior team.
“Minnu had earlier told us that she was unlikely to get a chance in the first game. However, around 10.30 in the morning, she called us and said she would be in the playing eleven and asked us to pray for her. I immediately alerted all the neighbours and well-wishers, and they came here to watch the match along with us,” Minnu’s father Mani, a daily-wage labourer, said.
Though it was an international game, there was no telecast, and everyone tuned into the YouTube channel of Bangladesh Cricket Board on their phones to see Minnu perform on the biggest stage in her career yet.
On the field, Minnu, 24, received her cap from her favourite player Smriti Mandhana. Minnu was one of the two debutants for India — Bareddy Anusha being the other. After India elected to field, the off-spinning allrounder came on to bowl, with her cap on, inside the powerplay itself.
Bangladesh opener Shamima Sultana got stuck into Minnu with a six followed a four in the second and third deliveries of the fifth over. Unperturbed, she still floated the next ball, seemingly even slower than the previous two deliveries, and induced a false shot from the right-hander. Sultana skied the slog sweep straight to Jemimah Rodrigues at deep square leg. A wicket in the first over made the day sweeter for Minnu, and those present at her Mananthavady house as a proud Mani and his wife Vasantha opened the box of sweets.

“It is hard to explain the joy we have. She worked hard all these years to play for India and then she got a wicket in the first over itself. What more could we ask for? The whole town was elated,” said Mani.
Minnu could have got another wicket in her second over but Pooja Vastrakar missed a tough grab at short square leg after Sobhana Mostary miscued a slog. She finished with respectable figures of 3-0-21-1 as India restricted Bangladesh to 114/5 and later chased down the target in 16.2 overs for a seven-wicket win.
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur was impressed with the way Minnu and Anusha, a left-arm spinner, bowled in the powerplay. “I wanted to see how they are going to bowl in the first six overs and then later on. Both of them bowled really well. They understood the conditions very early and that shows how keen you are to bowl for the team,” Kaur, the player of the match for her 54 off 35 balls, said in the post-match presentation ceremony.
Hailing from the Kurichiya tribe in Wayanad, Minnu had earlier in the year become the only player from Kerala to be part of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) as Delhi Capitals bought her for Rs 30 lakh. She, however, got only three games in the season in a star-studded lineup that had the likes of Shafali Verma, Rodrigues and Meg Lanning.
Early reluctance
Mani admitted he was initially not fond of Minnu playing cricket. “I knew nothing about cricket, thought it was a men’s game, played only rich people. Her teacher Elsamma at Mananthavady Government Vocational Higher Secondary School turned her focus towards cricket and took her to Wayanad drict coach Shanavas sir,” he said.
“But once she started going up from one level to another, thanks to the Kerala Cricket Association’s women’s academy coaches and the Kerala women’s team coach Suman Sharma, I tried to help her achieve her dream and arranged funds for her travels and training needs. Many well-wishers have lent me money to support her over the years. It’s a moment for me to thank all of them,” said Mani, who credited his daughter’s determination above all for her rise — Minnu travels 42 kilometres one way daily, hopping four buses, to train at the KCA stadium in Krishnagiri during the off-season.
Minnu Mani’s family watching the game on YouTube on their phones.
Suman Sharma, who has coached the Kerala women’s team for many years, believes Minnu can become one of the best all-rounders in the country. “She is very athletic and a terrific fielder. She can attack and defend with the bat. She just needed a bit more exposure at the higher level for that nervousness and fear to go away, and she can be a good all-rounder for India across formats. I am so happy that she has begun on a good note for India,” said Sharma.

Minnu’s parents are yet to watch her play live at the ground. “Minnu’s biggest wish now is to take us for a game abroad. She said she would get passports ready for us. If she keeps on playing for India, hopefully, we can make that trip one day,” said Mani.