My mother worked harder than I did, says Mona

NAGPUR: Mona Meshram’s cellphone hasn’t stopped making arches on the table ever since she landed in Nagpur after India finished runners-up in World Cup.
On her one hand is an invitation for a felicitation function, something that she has been receiving by the bulk. She is flying high after being the only city cricketer in Indian women’s team that changed the course of how women’s cricket is perceived in the country.
In the middle of all the razzmatazz, a thing that keeps keeps running at the back of her mind is the contribution of her mother – Chhaya.
The moment one asks Mona about her mother’s role in her phenomenal journey, an emotional daughter comes forward as she reveals how her mother has worked harder than her to achieve this success.
“My mother’s contribution in the success is immense. She worked harder than I did. I usually prefer practising through morning till afternoon. Most of the time, I miss breakfast as well as lunch. But she keeps a track of my sessions.
“Whenever I’m practising in city, my mother travels close to 5-10 km to deliver me the tiffin, glucose and water bottles,” Mona said, avoiding the attentive stare, attempting to hide the hint of moist in her eyes.
“Our financial condition was not that good. My mother could have easily asked me to work and support her. But she pushed me to pursue my dreams.
“She provided me with proper diet, no matter what it cost, so as to boost my fitness. Looking at the efforts put in by her, I became tougher and played even harder which made the difference,” the 25-year-old cricketer said, barely managing to control her emotions.
The World Cup has seen the city cricketer mature a lot. When it comes to voicing her opinion, Mona doesn’t hesitate any more.
Just like Indian skipper Mithali Raj, she also feels that a tournament like Indian Premier League (IPL) for women will go a long way in developing their game.
“Our two cricketers Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana have good experience of playing in Big bash League. Both of them showed how Big Bash experience worked for them in World Cup. So, I feel, the time has come to introduce the IPL-like tourney for women in India,” she said, during a meet the press organized by Sports Journalist Association of Nagpur (SJAN) on Monday.
When asked about India’s World Cup final loss to England by narrow margin, Mona said: “As compared to England, we lacked the experience of playing under pressure and that proved crucial,” she added.
The Indian middle order batswoman appreciated Vidarbha Cricket Associaiton’s move to appoint former Indian cricketer Anju Jain as women team coach. “VCA has taken a good step by appointing Anju Jain. Her vast experience will help the city girls in improving on every front,” she concluded.