MI Junior a Commendable And Much Needed Initiative: India Women's Yastika Bhatia

The fourth edition of MI Junior, the vastly successful inter-school cricket tournament by Mumbai Indians, started in fine style on January 25 in Mumbai.

The event was attended by cricketers Yastika Bhatia and Devieka Palshikaar, who are Mumbai Indians’ wicketkeeper opener and batting coach respectively in the WPL. This annual event serves as a great platform for budding cricketers in Maharashtra, offering them valuable game time and exposure.

Organized in collaboration with domestic cricket associations, including the Mumbai Cricket Association, Vidarbha Cricket Association, and Maharashtra Cricket Association, MI Junior aims to contribute to grassroots development and provide opportunities for learning in both education and sports under the Education and Sports for All (ESA) initiative.

Season highlights:

• The tournament will be played in three categories again: U-14 boys, U-15 girls and U-16 boys.
• A total of 300 teams will be participating this season, the most ever for a single edition.
• The upcoming edition will be held in three different cities: Mumbai, Nagpur and Pune.

Shedding light on the fourth edition, Yastika Bhatia said, “When I was their age, there were only a handful of girls in my hometown who were playing cricket at the age group levels. This initiative is truly commendable and much needed. I’m so happy that these young girls are getting such a great platform to make their mark.”

MI Junior season 4 continues with the inclusion of female umpires and scorers, building on the success of the previous initiative to foster inclusivity and diversity in the cricketing realm. The winners of the season will have an opportunity to have a masterclass session with the Mumbai Indians support staff. MI Junior is one of the many initiatives undertaken by Reliance Foundation (CSR arm of RIL) for grassroots development under the Education and Sports for All (ESA) initiative that seeks to provide every child with opportunities for learning in the spheres of education and sports.

Speaking about the MI Junior season 4, Devieka Palshikaar said,” I first got to know that women’s cricket existed when I was 18. I started by playing against the boys. I wish there were tournaments like these in my time. With so many schools participating, imagine how much bigger the player pool will be for Mumbai, Maharashtra and Vidarbha teams on the domestic circuit.”

The first three editions of the tournament have seen participation from over 500 teams and 8000 students. The matches in the upcoming edition will also be held at some of the most iconic grounds and maidans of Mumbai, which have produced and nurtured some of India’s greatest cricketers, including Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar and Dilip Vengsarkar, to acquaint the schoolkids with the rich cricketing culture of the city. Scores for the matches will be available on the Mumbai Indians website with updates on MI’s social media handles as well.