S Sajana or Sanjeevan Sajana announced her arrival in the Women's Premier League (WPL) by helping Mumbai Indians pull off a thrilling four-wicket win over Delhi Capitals in the season opener at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Friday, February 23.
S Sajana walked out to bat when defending champions lost Harmanpreet Kaur at 167/6 and require five runs off just 1 ball to win the match. Sajana took the strike but she didn't seem to be under any pressure. He faced Alice Capsey in the final delivery of the match and hit the ball over a long on for a six, bringing joy to Harmanpreet Kaur-led side.
S Sajana showed his capability to be calm under pressure as Mumbai Indians faced a critical moment in the season opener against Delhi Capitals in Women's Premier League 2024 (WPL).
Skipper Yastika Bhatia (57) and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (55) as they scored fifties before S Sajana got the job done in 173-run chase. Amelia Kerr too contributed with the bat with the gritty knock of 24 off 18 balls.
S Sajana's Kerala roots
S Sajana hails from Mananthavadi in Wayanad, Kerala. 28-year-old comes from a humble family, with her late father being a rickshaw driver. Throughout her cricketing journey, Sajana had to face numerous challenges to climb up the ladder of success.
During the 2018 Kerala floods, S Sajana lost her house in Wayanad as it submerged due to a deluge across the district in Kerala. Sajana's family was financially deprived as they struggled to make ends to ends meet and thus, stayed in a government school hostel that made her independent.
S Sajana belongs to the Kurichia community, the Advasi tribe of warriors in Kerala. The all-rounder started playing at the age of 17 and made quick strides in her cricketing career.
S Sajana rise to the top
S Sajana made her domestic debut for Kerala team at the age of 19 after a player was ruled out of the match against Hyderabad in Chennai in 2014.
In 2019, Sajana began her ascent to prominence when he led Kerala U-23 team to victory in the Women's T20 Super League. In 2023, the Kerala all-rounder had a good campaign in the Senior Women's T20 Trophy, where she amassed 134 runs and claimed six wickets in 8 matches.
Sajana played a vital role in helping Kerala reached semifinals of the Senior Women's Trophy, where they lost to Uttarakhand by eight wickets.
Since 2019, S Sajana has been representing Kerala in domestic cricket and consistently feature in the playing XI of the team.
S Sajana went unsold in WPL 2023 auction
Mumbai Indians acquired the services of S Sajana for INR 15 lakhs as an all-rounder at WPL 2024 Auction that was held in December 19 in Mumbai.
However, S Sajana was ignored by all five franchises at the WPL 2023, where she was listed at a base price of INR 10 lakhs. Neither of the teams showed knee interest to have her on the board.
In the WPL 2024, S Sajana received her first WPL contract from Mumbai Indians at the auction. The 29-year-old will be hoping to make an impact in the ongoing season of WPL as a gateway to India women's team, just like Kerala teammate Minnu Mani who made her international debut against Bangladesh last year.
