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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.

Rupee drops 19 paise to 85.63 against US dollar in early trade

  • PTI
  • Apr 7, 2025
  • 2 min read


The rupee declined 19 paise to 85.63 against the U.S. dollar in early trade on Monday (April 7, 2025), facing the heat of the global trade war triggered by the U.S. reciprocal tariff and China’s retaliatory move that also crashed equity markets worldwide to their record lows.


According to forex traders, a steep decline in crude prices and a weaker American currency failed to support the domestic currency amid the incessant foreign fun outflows in line with the global sell-offs.


Meanwhile, they said that market participants remained concerned as the Reserve Bank of India’s monetary policy committee began its three-day deliberations on key interest rates. The decision of the six-member rate-setting panel will be announced on Wednesday (April 2, 2025).


At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 85.79 and strengthened slightly to trade at 85.63 against the greenback, registering a loss of 19 paise from its previous closing level.


On Friday (April 4, 2025), the rupee settled 14 paise lower at 85.44 against the U.S. dollar, a day after gaining 22 paise on Thursday (April 3, 2025), following the implementation of the U.S.’ reciprocal tariff on about 60 countries.


Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback’s strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.05% lower at 102.71.


Analysts attributed the weakening dollar to disappointing services, PMI data and concerns over inflation and economic growth due to the global tariff war as China imposed 34% import duties in retaliation to the Donald Trump administration’s sweeping tariff move.


Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, fell 2.73% to $63.79 per barrel in futures trade, hit by twin shocks of Trump’s tariffs and an OPEC+ decision to increase output faster than previously announced.


In the domestic equity market, the 30-share BSE Sensex crashed 3014.32 points, or 4.00%, to 72,350.37, while the Nifty tanked 1,016.75 points, or 4.44%, to 21,887.70 points.


Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth ₹3,483.98 crore on a net basis on Friday (April 4, 2025), according to exchange data.


The Reserve Bank of India on Friday (April 4, 2025) said the country’s forex kitty jumped from $6.596 billion to $665.396 billion during the week ended March 28. In the previous reporting week, the overall reserves rose by $4.529 billion to $658.8 billion.


This is the fourth consecutive week of increase in the reserve, which was on a declining trend recently due to revaluation along with forex market interventions by RBI to help reduce volatilities in the rupee.


A monthly survey released on Friday (April 4, 2025) showed, India’s services sector activity eased slightly in March, weighed down by a marginal slowdown in sales amid softer demand conditions and easing inflationary pressures.


The seasonally adjusted HSBC India Services PMI Business Activity Index fell from February’s reading of 59.0 to 58.5 in March but remained above its long-run average of 54.2.

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