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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Cricket’s Quiet Crusader

Former kca Selection Chief who helped nurture a generation of women cricketers when the sport struggled for recognition Niketha Ramankutty A prominent figure in Indian women’s cricket, Niketha Ramankutty — former Chairperson of the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) Women’s Selection Committee and Manager of the Kerala State women’s teams — has long championed the game, especially when women’s cricket had little platform in her home state. Her dedication helped nurture girls taking to cricket...

Cricket’s Quiet Crusader

Former kca Selection Chief who helped nurture a generation of women cricketers when the sport struggled for recognition Niketha Ramankutty A prominent figure in Indian women’s cricket, Niketha Ramankutty — former Chairperson of the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) Women’s Selection Committee and Manager of the Kerala State women’s teams — has long championed the game, especially when women’s cricket had little platform in her home state. Her dedication helped nurture girls taking to cricket in Kerala. During her tenure, which ended recently, five players from the state went on to represent India, while three now feature in the Women’s Premier League (WPL). Niketha’s journey began in 1995 on modest grounds and rough pitches in the blazing sun of her native Thrissur. At the time, girls aspiring to play cricket often drew curious stares or disapproving glances. This was despite Kerala producing some of India’s finest female athletes, including P.T. Usha, Shiny Wilson, Anju Bobby George, K.M. Beenamol and Tintu Luka. “Those were the days when women’s cricket did not attract packed stadiums, prime-time television coverage, lucrative contracts or celebrity status. Thankfully, the BCCI has taken progressive steps, including equal pay for the senior women’s team and launching the WPL. These have brought greater visibility, professional avenues and financial security for women cricketers,” Niketha said during a chat with  The Perfect Voice  in Pune. With better infrastructure, stronger domestic competitions and greater junior-level exposure, she believes the future of women’s cricket in India is bright and encourages more girls to pursue the sport seriously. Humble Beginnings Niketha began playing informal matches in neighbourhood kalisthalams (playgrounds) and school competitions before realising cricket was her true calling. Coaches who noticed her composure encouraged her to pursue the game seriously. More than flamboyance, she brought reliability and quiet determination to the turf — qualities every captain values when a match hangs in the balance. These traits helped her rise through the ranks and become a key figure in Kerala’s women’s cricket structure. “She was like a gentle messiah for the players. During demanding moments, they could rely on her – whether to stabilise an innings or lift team spirit,” recalled a former colleague. Guiding Youngsters Her involvement came when women’s cricket in many states struggled even for basic facilities. Matches were rarely covered by the media, and limited travel or training arrangements often tested players’ patience. “As a mother of two daughters—Namradha, 18, and Nivedya, 14—I could understand the emotions of the young girls in the teams. Guiding players through difficult phases and helping them overcome failures gave me the greatest satisfaction,” she said. Niketha — an English Literature graduate with a master’s in Tourism Management — believes success in sport demands not only skill but also sacrifice. Strong parental support and encouragement from her husband, Vinoth Kumar, an engineer, helped her overcome many challenges. Never one to seek the spotlight, she let her performances speak for themselves, earning respect on the national circuit. Quiet Legacy Today, the landscape has changed dramatically. Young girls are more ambitious, parents more supportive, and cricket is seen as a viable career with opportunities in coaching, umpiring, team management, sports analysis and allied fields. Players like Niketha have quietly strengthened the sport. Their journeys show that some victories are not won under stadium floodlights, but by determined women who simply refused to stop playing.

Death toll crosses 21; CM reviews status   

Mumbai: As large parts of Maharashtra continued to reel under the monsoon fury for the fourth consecutive day, the statewide death toll climbed to at least 21, with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis closely monitoring the situation in the state’s 36 districts.

 

The battering rains have disrupted normal life with trails of deaths, missing persons, crops devastated and untold misery for lakhs in Mumbai, Marathwada, Vidarbha and Konkan regions, reviving memories of the July 26, 2005 deluge.

 

With rainfall figures remaining in 3-digits for the past 3 days, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) has been hit hard with delays or disruptions in the suburban train networks, major and arterial roads, the two highways flooded, rail tracks, vicinity of stations inundated, causing huge hardships to the commuters.

 

Hundreds of commuters were seen trudging on the railway tracks in places like Vasai, Nalasopara, Ghatkopar, Mulund, Kalyan, Sion, Kurla, and certain other stations on the Western Railway, Central Railway and the Harbour Line networks.

 

Scores of big and small vehicles were stuck in the waters submerging the city roads and highways across Mumbai, and towing vans rushed to the rescue of four-wheelers in some places, but two-wheeler riders preferred to drag their vehicles to the nearest garage.

 

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) authorities advised intending domestic and international passengers to check the status with their respective airlines before venturing out and allow extra time to reach the airport given the incessant rains and traffic conditions.

 

Officials said that over 10-lakh hectares of farmlands have been destroyed with the highest 2-lakh hectares in the Vidarbha region alone, said Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, after attending the review meeting today.

 

The IMD has announced a Red Alert for Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Raigad, besides Orange Alert for Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg and other districts, fisherfolk on Maharashtra-Goa coast warned against venturing into the angry Arabian Sea, a holiday for past two days for all schools-colleges, a work-from-home for government staffers and other precautionary measures.

 

As per official reports, more than 800 villages have been affected in the usually dry Marathwada region, water levels are alarmingly high in several talukas of Raigad-Ratnagiri.

 

Indian Army’s Sudarshan Chakra corps rescues hundreds in Nanded

Nanded: Responding to a SOS from the Maharashtra government, the Indian Army’s Sudarshan Chakra Corps has rushed a rescue column to bail out thousands of people stranded in the flood-ravaged Nanded district, officials said here.

 

Till Tuesday, at least 21 rain-related deaths were reported across the state including eight in Nanded where a cloudburst-triggered deluge created massive havoc and destruction, and more than 300 people have been rescued.

 

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that at least eight persons perished in the Nanded which has been clobbered by rains since Sunday, besides 2 rain-linked fatalities in Beed, one each in Hingoli, Gadchiroli, Akola, plus 2 in Mumbai.

 

The Sudarshan Chakra Corps has rushed a rescue column of 65 comprising rescuers, engineers and medicos which are helping the State Disaster Response Force, local police and district officials.

 

Temporary camps have been set up to shelter the people evacuated from inundated villages, with Raawan, Bhaswadi, Bhingoli and Hasnal bearing the brunt of the flood waters from the overflowing Lendi Dam.

 

With 80 percent of Hasnal still inundated, the local authorities said that of the five reported missing yesterday, the bodies of four were recovered and a search continues for one person in the ongoing operations.

 

“The Army columns are actively relocating families to safer areas. Medical camps and food distribution points have been established to extend immediate humanitarian relief. Equipped with advanced rescue gears, our teams are prepared to ensure safe evacuation of stranded residents,” the Army officials said today.

 

Of those rescued under challenging conditions with intermittent rains, nearly 180 persons were administered first aid, and food provided to over 450 people, Nanded Collector Rahul Kardile describing the situation as ‘currently under control’.

 

Kardile said that though the rainfall situation has eased somewhat with water levels receding, the Godavari and Painganga rivers are still in a spate, and a strict vigil is being maintained on the unfolding flood crisis.

 

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