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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.

Equity MFs inflow drops 26 pc to Rs 29,303 cr in Feb; SIP hit 3-month low

  • PTI
  • Mar 12, 2025
  • 3 min read

Updated: Mar 13, 2025


SIP hit 3-month low

New Delhi: Inflow in equity mutual funds dropped 26 per cent to Rs 29,303 crore in February, primarily due to a significant decline in investments in small and midcap schemes, amid continued market volatility.

This was the second consecutive month of decline in inflow in equity funds. The latest fund infusion by investors also marks the 47th consecutive month of net inflows into the segment.

Moreover, inflows into systematic investment plans (SIP) came at Rs 25,999 crore in February, making it three months low. Before this, SIP inflow was Rs 26,400 crore in January and Rs 26,459 crore in December.

"The SIP inflows have come down, but the drop is not significant, partly due to February being a shorter month as compared to January," Suranjana Borthakur, Head of Distribution & Strategic Alliances at Mirae Asset Investment Managers (India), said.

According to data released by Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi) on Wednesday, equity-oriented mutual funds saw an inflow of Rs 29,303 crore in February, way lower than Rs 39,688 crore registered in January and Rs 41,156 crore in December.

However, the pace of investments moderated compared to the previous month due to increased market uncertainty and a broader correction in equities.

"While short-term headwinds have tempered investment flows, domestic investor confidence remains strong, as indicated by continued inflows. Investors are adopting a cautious yet steady approach, reassessing their portfolios while maintaining long-term investment commitments," Nehal Meshram, Senior Analyst - Manager Research at Morningstar Investment Research India, said.

Akhil Chaturvedi, Executive Director & Chief Business Officer, Motilal Oswal AMC, said that continuous monthly market correction has led to a slowdown of sales in February, this could also be partially attributed to a truncated month. Investors are being cautious in allocations and may postpone or stagger in the near future. Having said so, net sales of Rs 30,000 crore are also pretty healthy and the broader sentiment looks optimistic from a long-term wealth creation perspective.

Also, the sharp decline was attributed to reduced inflows in mid and small-cap funds, which saw a drop to Rs 3,406 crore and Rs 3,722 crore in February, compared to Rs 5,147 crore and Rs 5,720 crore in January, respectively. In large-cap funds, inflows totalled Rs 2,866 crore, down from Rs 3,063 crore in January.

Within the equity categories, sectoral/thematic funds witnessed the highest net inflow of Rs 5,711 crore, followed by Flexi Cap Funds with Rs 5,104 crore.

Apart from equities, gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs) saw an inflow of Rs 1,980 crore against Rs 3,751 crore in January.

However, debt mutual funds registered an outflow of Rs 6,525 crore last month in February, a sharp reversal from the strong inflows of Rs 1.28 lakh crore in the preceding month.

Despite the outflows, liquid funds saw the inflow at Rs 4,977 crore, followed by corporate bond funds (Rs 1,065 crore) and short-duration funds (Rs 473 crore). However, several short-term debt categories witnessed heavy redemptions, with ultra-short duration funds (Rs 4,281 crore), money market funds (Rs 276 crore), low-duration funds, and overnight funds (Rs 2,264 crore) seeing the highest outflows. Together, these four categories accounted for 90 per cent of total redemptions, Meshram said.

Of the 16 debt categories, 10 recorded net outflows, indicating that the bulk of redemptions were concentrated in short-duration funds.

Overall, mutual funds attracted over Rs 40,000 crore in the month under review compared to a staggering inflow of Rs 1.87 lakh crore in January suggesting a cautious approach from investors in the mutual funds space.

This slump in inflow has pulled the overall assets under management of mutual funds down 4 per cent to Rs 64.53 lakh crore in February-end compared to Rs 67.25 lakh crore in the preceding month.

This comes in the backdrop of global uncertainties and macroeconomic factors, which led to a slump in benchmark index Sensex by 5.5 per cent in the month.

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