When she was a budding cricketer, neighbours of Dharavi resident Simran Shaikh discouraged her father from permitting her to play the game saying ‘yeh ladki, ladkon ke sath khelti’ (She performs with boys).” On Sunday night, these exact same folks made a beeline to her ramshackle tiny residence in Asia’s largest slum to congratulate her father Jahid Ali, a wireman as Simran was purchased by Gujarat Giants for Rs 1.90 crore on the Ladies’s Premier League (WPL) public sale held in Bengaluru.
“I’ve no phrases to precise my pleasure. Until final evening I used to be simply hoping to simply get picked by one of many groups. I’ve been getting continuous calls since Gujarat Giants purchased me on the public sale. There have been occasions when it was a battle to purchase a primary cricket equipment. However no matter I’ve obtained is due to cricket and I’ll work more durable than earlier than,” Simran Shaikh advised The Indian Categorical from Ahmedabad, the place she is representing Mumbai within the Ladies’s Senior One Day Trophy.
Simran is now the second-highest paid uncapped participant after Kashvee Gautam — Rs 2cr to Gujarat Giants final yr. But, Simran’s cricket profession might have been nipped within the bud if her father had paid heed to the naysayers.
“Coming from a Muslim household and being underprivileged, it wasn’t a straightforward option to play cricket. I bear in mind folks telling my father, ‘Jahid, kya kar raha hai tu (What are you doing?). It’s time she learns ghar ka kaam (family work). Sports activities received’t get her anyplace. However my father didn’t ask me to cease enjoying. At present the identical folks have come to congratulate our household,” Simran Shaikh stated.
It wasn’t simple for Jahid and his spouse Akhtari Bano to make ends meet with a wireman’s wage. Simran is the third of eight kids — 4 sisters and three brothers. Simran has advised her father to make use of the massive pay cheque to uplift the household.
“Zindagi bhar yeh gali-kuchar mein nikal diya. Zhopde mein rahe. (Our complete lives now we have lived close to slender lanes with open gutters within the slum). Eleven folks in our household reside in two rooms. Now with this cash we’ll purchase an excellent home and reside a good life. Thank God I didn’t take heed to associates who advised me to dissuade Simran from enjoying cricket,” Jahid advised this paper.
Simran Shaikh headlined a day on which uncapped Indian gamers obtained huge bucks. Three of the highest 4 buys had been uncapped Indians — Simran; G Kamalini, a 16-year-old wicketkeeper from Madurai, offered to Mumbai Indians for Rs 1.60 crore; and all rounder Prema Rawat, 23, to Royal Challengers Bengaluru for Rs 1.60 crore. They had been in the identical league by way of cash as West Indies’ star all-rounder Deandra Dottin (Gujarat Giants; Rs 1.70 cr) within the mini-auction through which groups needed to fill 19 slots.
Simran Shaikh reacts after becoming a member of #GujaratGiants forward of #TATAWPL2025 🙌#TATAWPLAuction #JioCinemaSports #WPLAuctiononJioStar pic.twitter.com/qJQu6GGd8Z
— JioCinema (@JioCinema) December 15, 2024
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The windfall on the public sale marked a comeback for Simran. She was purchased for her base prize of Rs 10 lakh by UP Warriorz on the inaugural public sale. However in 9 matches at WPL 2023, she scored 29 runs at a strike fee of 60.41 and a mean of 5.80. These returns noticed her get launched after the primary season, and she or he didn’t discover a workforce for WPL 2024.
Her numbers within the Senior Ladies’s T20 Trophy this season for eventual champions Mumbai weren’t that nice as she scored 176 runs at a strike fee of 100.57 however she did discover the fence regularly, roughly hitting a boundary each 7 balls she confronted. Within the current T20 Challenger Trophy, enjoying for Crew E, she scored 7 sixes and 6 fours in simply 40 balls she confronted throughout 5 innings, leading to a shocking strike fee of 202.50.
Hanging energy
“Though her numbers weren’t nice final season, it’s her expertise that units her aside. Her strike fee, which is near 130, is superb as a result of she bats within the center order. Whatever the state of affairs, she will hit these huge pictures. She’s additionally a superb fielder, which is a big benefit,” former India captain Anjum Chopra advised JioCinema.
It’s that placing energy that caught the eye of Gujarat head coach Michael Klinger. “We have now been watching the native competitions carefully and she or he has stepped up by way of strike fee, so to have somebody we are able to put within the prime 6 or 7 along with her six-hitting skills is one thing we had been searching for,” Klinger advised the broadcasters.
Simran Shaikh is completely satisfied that she can be a purpose why Dharavi will get an excellent title. “Sab Dharavi ko slum he dekhe hai. (Individuals simply have a look at Dharavi as a slum). However I’m completely satisfied that they may now know that it has produced a cricketer too. There are many good cricketers in Dharavi and I hope others make it huge. My foremost intention is to play for India at some point.”
With Vinayakk Mohanarangan
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