J&K’s women cricket on the rise
STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir women cricket is on the rise because a good number of women cricketers have sealed berth in Zonal teams, Challenger Trophies, NCA Camps and what and what not from the last few seasons, courtesy–JKCA Administration, which has left no stone unturned in facilitating, patting and promoting women cricketers to blossom at the national scene.
Sarla Devi, Sandhya Sayal, Shivanti Gupta, Mariya Noorain, Rudrakshi Chib, Bawandeep Kaur, Ananaya Sharma and Ananya Dogra are a few women cricketers who have excelled at the higher levels. Now, talented genuine all-round of Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA), Chitra Singh Jamwal, who has the honour of being the first woman cricketer from J&K to score a century at the National scene in the Senior Women’s One-Day Trophy and having the cricketing brilliance with 5 magnificent centuries at her back and two in the last season itself, has been named in the prestigious Women’s Fast Bowling Camp to be organised by the National Cricket Academy (NCA) at Benguluru from September 9 to September 14, 2024.
According to a letter issued by Head Cricket, NCA, VVS Laxman to Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA), Ms Chitra after getting the nod ofAll India Women’s Selection Committee, has been asked to report at Benguluru on September 8 (AN) .
Chitra has scored around 800 runs in all the formats last season with a healthy average, besides taking 25 wickets.
She has produced stellar performances in Senior Women’s One-Day and T20 Trophies, besides U-23 Women’s T20 Tournament. She has scored 327 runs with two splendid centuries and two big fifties in Senior Women’s One-Day Trophy, 298 runs in Women’s U-23 One-Day Trophy and 148 runs in Senior Women’s T20 Trophy, besides taking 8, 9 and 5 wickets in these tournaments respectively. She also took 2 wickets for North Zone in the Inter-Zonal One-Day Tournament, which forced her to miss the U-23 Women’s One-Day Trophy last season.
After emerging top run-getter for J&K with 148 runs and 9 wickets in the Senior Women’s T20 Tournament last season, Chitra emerged top run scorer in the country in the league phase of the prestigious Women’s U-23 T20 Trophy and again top scorer in the country in league phase of the Senior Women’s One-Day Trophy.
Promising Chitra had scored three half-centuries with unbeaten 68* as her top score, apart from unconquered 48, 45 and 22 runs in the other three innings’. Though, Chitra scored three and missed two fifties, Aradhana D Bisht scored 2 fifties in the league phase of this tournament.
In Senior Women’s One-Day Trophy, Chitra amassed 327 runs with an average of 81.73, smashing 2 centuries and 2 fifties, including a hundred against Rajasthan, having the most formidable bowling attacks in the country. “I accredit my success to the facilities being provided to the players by JKCA at home and the pat and promote attitude of the Administrators and the officials, besides sheer-dint of hardwork by my parents. My job is to deliver my best and wait for the opportunities,” maintained Ms Chitra.
“Chitra has performed exceptionally well throughout the last season and has made all of us proud by producing stellar performances with both willow and the ball,” said JKCA Administrators.