Sajana Sajeevan broke into the limelight after her successful six sailed over the long-on boundary with her efforts lastly getting rewarded for years of onerous work. It was only a few seconds and a single stroke which made her earn recognition however the onerous work for these seconds stays much less recognized.
Sajana, whose father Sajeevan is an autorickshaw driver, hails from Mananthavady, a village in Kerala’s Wayanad. She holds a level in political science however was all the time keen about playing cricket. But her household didn’t had sufficient funds to help her.Â
“Our income was not really that big enough to fund her sporting activities and travelling for tournaments. But she was always passionate about cricket and used to play the game at the paddy field near our home with coconut petiole with her friends and relatives,” Sajeevan instructed PTI.
“One day she met (former Indian cricketer) Gautam Gambhir at the Krishnagiri stadium here, and got an autographed bat. Seeing that we realised her passion for the sport. Elsamma Baby, the Physical Education teacher in the local government school too told us to encourage her sporting ambitions,” he provides.
Once she misplaced her home due to floods in Kerala however by no means did she lose her willpower and keenness for the game.
In a video posted by MI, Sajana shares how issues began turning properly for her. “I did not have funds to travel. When I was selected to play for my district, I started earning money, 150 Rs per day as daily allowance. That was big money for me. Then, it went to 150, 300 and 900. I wanted to feel happy for my parents,” she stated in the video posted by the franchise,” she stated.Â
Soon the times turned higher and he or she was picked in the state U19 aspect and was additionally appointed the captain later. Later she additionally acquired an India A call-up. But she was upset when she was not picked in the WPL season 1.
“Sajana was so nervous that day and he or she didn’t even watch it (public sale) on the TV. But she was a bit upset when she failed to appeal to a bid final 12 months,â says Sajeevan. Sajana’s coach Okay Rajagopal had a pep-talk with her and impressed her to maintain going.Â
“I instructed her not to get disheartened after that public sale. If you retain performing then the prospect will definitely come your method once more. She is a robust woman, and it was simply the case of protecting her give attention to the sport. She did that when there was hardly any cricket throughout the flood (2018) and Covid days. Her need to obtain her objective is her power,â he says.
For the second season, she was roped in by Mumbai Indians, one of many world’s most famous sporting franchises in the world. “She was so happy. She called all her friends and coaches to thank them. Sajana told us that she never expected to get a contract from Mumbai, the biggest team in the league,” her father recollects.
The six to Alice Capsey helped MI begin their match with a win and Yastika Bhatia phrases her the ‘Kieron Pollard’ of the ladies’s MI. “If you will have watched Harry di (DC captain Harmanpreet Kaur) converse in interviews earlier than, she talked about that Sajana is a participant to be careful for in this WPL.
“MI have religion in her and he or she is like Kieron Pollard of the womenâs staff. She has acquired that position, and he or she did rather well, credit score goes to her,â Yastika stated in the post-match press convention.
She now desires an India jersey. “Sajana now says she wants to wear an Indian jersey soon like Minnu Mani (Indian cricketer from Wayanad, who played for Delhi on Friday). Hopefully, her dreams will come true,” her father says.
