14-yr-old Mumal's batting video went viral after legend Tendulkar tweeted it. Since then, the teenager from remote Rajasthan village has attracted immense support from several quarters, igniting her dream of donning India jersey and be a part of growing ecosystem of women's cricket
On an upward spiral, women's cricket in India is witnessing a growth story like never before. From equal pay as their male counterparts receive to the Women's Premier League (WPL), the interventions made by the apex cricket body in India are steady and right on track to create a thriving and independent ecosystem for women's cricket. In a backdrop such as this, an increasing number of young girls are daring to dream and Mumal Mehar is one of them.
The 14-year-old from Sherpura village in Barmer district of Rajasthan, became an overnight sensation on social media after India's legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar tweeted her video where she could be seen slamming aerial shots the 'Suryakumar Yadav style'.
The video garnered 1.2 million views and as she became the talk of town, the force of her popularity instantly convinced her father to promote her in cricket.
Speaking to the publication, Mehar said, "I want to become a cricketer and I am thankful to Sachin sir for sharing my video that has helped me get the necessary support to make things serious around my playing the sport. Women cricketers these days are doing so well and I would also like to put in effort to be one of them."
Mumal did not have to look too far for motivation as it was her cousin Anisha Bano's selection in the Under-19 Rajasthan team two years back that made her think 'I too can'. "It was in 2021 that Anisha got a call for the U-19 state team and I told her mereko bhi khelna hain (I also want to play)," she said.
There was a lot of effort put in by the girls' distant cousin Roshan Khan, who is also their coach, before he could convince Mumal's father to let her play.
Societal pressure, lack of exposure, limited financial means, no infrastructure, are among many roadblocks which can let talent go unnoticed and wasted. In this context, initial resistance from her father Mathar Khan, who is a farmer and struggles to make ends meet, was natural and expected. "In our village, families don't send their daughters to play outside home. So it took me almost six months to convince Mumal's father to send her for practice. Same was Anisha's case. With so much praise coming Mumal's way, her father now realises that letting her daughter play was a right move and is ready to send her to an academy. This will benefit her a lot as here we do not have proper equipment or even a cricket ground here," shared Khan.
The coach added that the financial help that is now coming Mumal's way will also ensure her parents don't feel the burden of managing the expenses associated with cricket training.
On Sunday, the cousin sisters met Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot who promised to provide monetary help from CM Relief Fund. Also, Rajasthan Cricket Association president Vaibhav Gehlot spoke to actor Sonu Sood who has come forward to help with donation from the Sood Charity Foundation and Rs 1 lakh has been given by various social organisations to promote the two talented players. A week ago, state BJP chief Satish Poonia sent Mumal a cricket kit.
Khan, 24, himself is not a professional in the field, but has been for the past some years giving training to the kids in the village. It is his knowledge picked from watching international matches and playing gully cricket, that he imparts during training sessions. "It is a small village with only 40 households and has no facility for any sort of sport. I was a kid when I developed interest in the sport after watching Mahendra Singh Dhoni lift the T20 World Cup in 2007, and everyone around me thought of cricket as nothing more than a leisure activity. It is because of my interest in cricket that I started giving training," Khan said.
In the widely circulated video, Mumal can be seen hitting an array of shots including the one that has of late been associated with Suryakumar - moving considerably to the off side to hoick it over square leg. "Since I am a huge fan of Suryakumar Yadav, I try to play like him," she said.
With no access to a television set, Mumal and Anisha keep a track of cricket action on the latter's mobile phone. But a TV screen is not their priority, getting admission in a cricket academy is. "Now the aim is to get enrolled in an academy and work hard to make a career in cricket," Mumal said.
The plan is to move to Jaipur for better training facilities and work towards the dream of donning the India jersey some day.
