Her family’s home was ruined by the 2018 Kerala floods, but the league has since improved her situation.
When Minnu Mani first began playing cricket, she was a hitter. At the age of 15, she made her senior team debut for Kerala. But as she advanced through the levels, she realized how beneficial it is to have a second skill. She therefore began to focus on her bowling at the Under-19 camps. She had no idea that her bowling all-around skills would help her break into the Indian squad and the WPL.
Mani, who identified herself as an all-rounder, was bid on by the Delhi Capitals and the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the first-ever WPL auction. Prior to the Capitals selecting her, RCB increased her base price of INR 10 lakh to INR 30 lakh (about US $36,192). The attendance of Kerala-trained coach Biju George, the fielding coach for the Capitals, at the
The first lady from Kerala to represent India in sports was Mani. In honor of her, the main intersection in the Wayanad district municipality of Mananthavady was named in her honor.
She entered the WPL 2024 after helping Kerala win the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy and taking seven wickets in eight matches. But she was left out of the starting XI after two wicketless innings in the opening three games. Which is when Meg Lanning, the captain of the Capitals, arrived to assist her.
Mani told ESPNcricinfo, “Meg Lanning came to me and helped me with my bowling,” following the Capitals’ second consecutive year of guaranteed passage to the WPL final. “During the time I spent spot-bowling
Mani is a member of the Kurichiya tribe, where girls aren’t often permitted to play with boys or leave the house. Her physical education instructor at school, Elasamma Baby, was the one who initially saw her aptitude and signed her up for the Wayanad District Cricket Association. Mani had only ever played in the paddy fields with her relatives up until that point. She diligently practiced under the pretense of “extra classes” before and after school, including on Sundays. It was only after she was chosen for the Wayanad district that her parents learned about it.
Mani had to travel 1.5 hours to Krishnagiri for coaching because her hometown of Mananthavady lacked training facilities. To get to the stadium, she had to transfer busses four times. Her talent was also noticed by the Kerala Cricket Association secretary and coaches there, who encouraged her to enroll in the hostel-equipped Kerala Cricket Academy. That made it possible for her to balance her education and cricket.
Mani managed the cricket, but he was still having problems off the field. similar to the 2018 Kerala floods. A landslide destroyed the house her family was building, but it had no effect on her cricket because the Wayanad District Cricket Association had arranged for her to stay in the stadium rather than travel. That’s when WPL improved her life.
“Since meeting Meg Lanning, there has been a discernible improvement in performance. She constantly keeps things easy and puts her players at ease, both during practice and in games.
“We can’t even imagine it, so for us, it’s a huge amount,” Mani remarks of her INR 30 lakh contract. “My parents had built the house with a bank loan.” However, a landslide destroyed it after the basement was constructed. I also received my match costs for state games after the WPL, and I represented India in sports. My parents were somewhat shocked to hear that I was making a little more money than I had been the previous year, as they had only ever dreamed of such sums. We paid off the obligations with the money, and now that we have less financial anxiety because of the WPL.”
Mani’s communication abilities and her cricket game both improved as a result of the WPL. Growing up, she had watched Lanning lead and perform admirably for Australia. Mani was silent on the Capitals’ setup.
I was having some language issues, so I wasn’t sharing anything with people or speaking clearly. I feel so much more at ease and better this year, and my [English] language skills have also increased. Thus, I am able to communicate with all of the international players,” she smiles.
“I’m stepping outside of my [comfort] zone and learning more about myself and my game at the same time. Other than that, after meeting Lanning, there has been a change in performance. She constantly maintains things simple and ensures that her players are at ease, both during practice and in the actual game. She used to advise us to keep things simple and concentrate on the process rather than overthinking things or making things more complicated.”
The Capitals have another chance to win the WPL after failing in their first season. Mani’s parents will be watching her team play on TV, whether or not she is in the starting lineup. And that is a far way from the times she had to keep her love of cricket a secret from them.
