21-year-old UP Warriorz middle-order batter, Simran Shaikh's meteoric rise in cricket has been a talking point at the ongoing Women's Premier League (WPL). Her growing stock in cricket hasn't been without obstacles. Hailing from Dharavi, one of the world's biggest slums, she broke through the ranks to become a regular for UP Warriorz.
In her childhood days, she was even scolded by people for playing cricket in the park. But now those very people cheer for her whenever she appears on their television screens.
Chairperson of Delhi's Commission for Women, Swati Maliwal, lauded Simran's inspirational journey from her humble background to becoming a cricket star.
"Simran Shaikh's journey from the streets of Dharavi to playing in the Women's IPL is an inspiration for the entire country. I hope that one day you will bring laurels to the country by wearing blue jersey"
Ignored the noise to pursue her dream
Simran's father, Jahid Ali, reflected on her struggles, "When my daughter was small, she was interested in playing cricket. Whenever she used to play cricket on the ground, a lot of people used to scold her and say a lot of things. But my daughter ignored all the noises. She focused on cricket and continued to move forward," Ali was quoted by ANI
It is a tough task for anybody to pursue cricket as a career path. But Simran is now playing in one of the biggest Women's cricket leagues. Her father initially didn't believe that she would be able to reach such a level.
"We are poor people, and at that time we were not in a condition to help our daughter. But with God's grace, she was able to move forward. I just want to say that the respect we get today is because of our daughter's skill, hard work, and God's grace. A lot of people have supported us," Simran's father continued."
Quit studies to pursue cricket
Even Simran's mother, Akhtari Bano, didn't believe that her daughter could play at such a level. "We didn't believe that she would go on to play forward. I thank the coach as well as God, who supported our daughter and us during hard times."
Simran left her studies after 10th class and pursued cricket with everything she had. Now, she has made her parents proud and she has become a well-known cricket player in India. "Earlier she was known by our name but now people recognize us because of Simran. People come and say that she is the mother of Simran. This is a proud moment for me," Simran's mother said.
Akhtari Bano also describes the family's emotions during the Women's Premier League auction. "We switched on the television at 2pm and we were waiting for her name to come up. She was anxious the whole time. But then her name suddenly came up and my family and even the whole society jumped in excitement," Simran' mother continued.
