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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.

Varsity Turmoil

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and other elite Indian academic institutions increasingly find themselves in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. So-called ideological battles waged in the campuses of such varsities needlessly deepen social divides. JNU’s recent scuffle during a University Governing Body Meeting (UGBM), where students from leftist groups clashed with Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members over alleged derogatory remarks about Lord Ram, reveal a pattern across elite institutes where a narrow ideological stance often dictates what can or cannot be voiced on campus.


The ABVP, the student wing affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), issued a scathing condemnation, accusing leftist students of attempting to stoke communal disharmony by disrespecting Hindu religious icons with a deliberate attempt to provoke.


The Ramjanmabhoomi dispute, centering on the birthplace of Lord Ram and the contested site in Ayodhya, has been one of India’s most politically charged issues for decades. Left-leaning academics, many of whom have had their haunts in JNU, have played a highly contentious role in this narrative, often distorting and selectively interpreting historical evidence and, in some cases, casting doubt on Hindu claims to the site.


Earlier in March this year, the campus has witnessed slogans from leftist students calling for liberation from ‘Brahmanism,’ for supporting Palestine and raising contentious statements critical of the government. Videos had circulated showing students chanting, “Mile Phule-Kanshi Ram, Hawa Mein Ud Gaye Jai Shri Ram”—a slogan hearkening back to the early 1990s when the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance directly confronted Hindu nationalist slogans. In the backdrop of these chants lies the shadow of past controversies, such as the infamous 2016 protests in which slogans like “Bharat tere tukde honge” (India will be broken up) had resonated through JNU’s halls.


Why does an institution ostensibly devoted to scholarly pursuit indulge in polarizing rhetoric?


Established in the 1960s, JNU was conceived as an experimental institution - a cradle for progressive ideas that could challenge orthodoxy. Yet over time, leftist ideologies came to dominate the campus ethos. Today, many student bodies continue to believe that JNU’s role is to serve as the voice of dissent, unafraid to confront mainstream political currents. For some on campus, slogans critiquing Hindu nationalism are seen not as anti-Hindu but as anti-majoritarian, challenging a religious-political nexus viewed as a threat to India’s secularism.


JNU has produced generations of activists and scholars who see themselves as challengers of the mainstream but often fail to recognize the downright impracticality and ideological blind spots in their approach.


Their campus rhetoric hardly produces any constructive debate.

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