Disappointment for Kerala cricket fans as Minnu Mani moves to Railways

Thiruvananthapuram: Minnu Mani, the Keralite all-rounder who has been a cornerstone of the Indian women’s national cricket team and who currently captains the India A team, will no longer represent her home state of Kerala in domestic cricket. Instead, Mani will be aligning with Railways, in accordance with her status as a designated railway employee.

Mani, who is presently on tour in Australia, has been in exceptional form, recently achieving a remarkable 10-wicket haul in the Test match between India A and Australia A.

Having started her domestic career with Kerala at the age of 16, Mani made history last year by becoming the first female cricketer from Kerala to represent India. She debuted for the national team in a T20 match against Bangladesh on 9 July 2023.

The Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) had hoped Mani would continue her domestic career with Kerala, but it is understood that Railways mandates its employees to represent only its team.

This policy also affects Kerala-born cricketer Asha Sobhana, who has been employed with Railways.