Carpenter’s daughter carves a niche for herself in cricket, pockets Rs 50 lakh in WPL auction
Last month, Amanjot Kaur was named in the Indian women’s team for South Africa T20 tri-series and bagged the player of the match trophy in India’s opening match against South Africa in the series with a knock of 41 runs.
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Family members of cricketer Amanjot Kaur celebrate in Mohali, Monday. (Express Photo by Jasbir Malhi) As 23-year-old Mohali cricketer Amanjot Kaur was picked up by Mumbai Indians for an amount of Rs 50 lakh in the inaugural Women’s Premier League (WPL) auction, her father 51-year-old Bhupinder Singh was heading back to their home in Phase V in Mohali after spending the day at his carpenter workshop at Balongi near Mohali.
Singh, a carpentering contractor, straightaway headed to a sweets shop before going back home. The 51-year-old was joined by his wife Ranjeet Kaur and children Kamaljot Kaur and Gurkirpal Singh to celebrate the feat with Amanjot in Mumbai.
As 23-year-old Mohali cricketer Amanjot Kaur was picked up by MI for Rs 50 lakh. Her father Bhupinder Singh runs a carpenter workshop near Mohali. Here's what he says on daughter's rise.
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“It’s a proud day for Amanjot as well as all of us. Being the elder daughter, she always wanted to do something different. I never stopped her from chasing her dreams. She liked playing cricket and I supported her dream in whatever way I could. Initially, she would not tell us about her injuries and would often call her younger sister outside home with the medical kit before entering home, so that her mother would not panic. To be picked by a team like Mumbai Indians is a special moment for us and I am sure she will not hide it from anybody,” Singh told The Indian Express.
It was in 2017 that the Mohali youngster started training under coach Nagesh Gupta and made the switch to UTCA in 2019. Kaur scored 370 runs for UTCA in the BCCI Senior Women’s One Day trophy in the 2019-2020 season before she scored more than 450 runs in the BCCI U-23 One Day tournament apart from scoring 184 runs and taking 10 wickets in the BCCI U-23 T20 Trophy. She played for India A last year before she shifted to Punjab again.
Amanjot Kaur speaking at a press conference. (BCCI)
Last month, Kaur was named in the Indian women’s team for South Africa T20 tri-series and bagged the player of the match trophy in India’s opening match against South Africa in the series with a knock of 41 runs. “Initially, Amanjot wanted to be a bowler. I saw her making boys do fielding drills and I was impressed by the way she controlled the bat. With time, we also worked on bowling and she had improved her yorkers as well as variations. She will enjoy playing on Mumbai pitches in WPL and can come in handy for Mumbai Indians,” said Gupta.
Another Mohali cricketer, 24-year-old Harleen Deol, who plays for Himachal Pradesh and is currently playing for the Indian senior team in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, was picked up by Gujarat Giants with a bid of Rs 40 lakh while Chandigarh cricketer Taniyaa Bhatia was picked up by Delhi Capitals with a bid of Rs 30 lakh.
“A young Harleen showed keen interest in watching IPL matches at IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali and also watched IPL matches at HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala as a trainee. To be picked up by Gujarat Giants in WPL is a special feeling for her as well as all of us and she will be motivated to perform well in the World Cup too,” said Deol’s mother Charanjeet Kaur Deol.
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