Cricket player Mona Meshram, who made her debut in the Indian Women’s Cricket team in the year 2012 and has represented India in many matches recently joined NewsX for a candid conversation as part of its special series NewsX India A list. In the exclusive interview with NewsX, Mona talked about her journey so far, her career goals, and the importance of hard work and resilience in making it to the top.
Talking about her golden childhood years and her initial memories of playing cricket, Mona said, “I belong from a sports family. When I was 5 years old, I got really interested in volleyball and started playing the game. I also used to participate in all the sports activities that were conducted in my school. My coach really saw the spark in me and selected me for the cricket team of school and I think that’s when my journey with cricket began. After that, I gave the trials for under-16, in which I was selected. I had scored 50 runs in my trials and then I played some tournaments as well. I told my mother that I want to play cricket and she was very supportive of my decision. Cricket is a costly game but my mother wanted me to pursue this field and I have seen some difficult days.”
Speaking about competition in the arena of cricket, Mona stated, “I used to play for railway and some club matches. In 2016, BCCI initiated Women’s Cricket and that’s when I got the chance to play officially for the Indian team. In 2008, when I made my debut as a junior cricketer, there weren’t many matches for me to play for. We, as a team, would get 4 matches and couldn’t even qualify for some.”
Further talking about her entry in the official team, Mona revealed, “In 2010, I got a very good opportunity. At that time, I was playing in the under-19 team and I had made a lot of runs, which helped the team in winning certain matches. That’s how I started to get more matches. We got into the finals but lost there but our performance was really good. After that, I was selected to play for Team India.”
When asked about her most memorable inning, Mona said that there have been many instances in matches that made her feel elated but the one with Ellyse Perry was amongst her favourite. “Perry was very famous at that time and I hit some fours and sixes. I remember those innings till date as it was just the start of my career. I was really happy,” Mona stated.
Speaking about the contribution of her mother in the advancement of her career, Mona said, “I wouldn’t have done it without my mother’s constant support and motivation. I still remember when I used to have my practice sessions, my mother used to come to the field carrying a tiffin and fed me with her own hands. She even used to do fielding during those sessions. She has helped a lot in my journey”.
On a concluding note, Mona shared a very important message for the viewers. Stressing on the importance of hard work, Mona asserted that hard work is the key to success. “If you work really hard, it gives you so much confidence and enables you to tackle any difficult situation. Give your 100% in the area that you want to improve yourself in. If you spend time on the ground, you will be able to understand cricket better” She added.