Her phone kept on ringing; text and WhatsApp messages started flowing in; she missed several video calls from friends and family. Sunday afternoon was, indeed, an emotional roller-coaster for Simran Shaikh.
As she watched the Women’s Premier League (WPL) auction, sitting in her hotel room in Ahmedabad, Simran did not expect to be involved in a bidding war. But as the afternoon progressed, Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Giants did everything possible to bring her on board, with the latter eventually sealing the deal for a whopping Rs 1.9 crore.
The next few minutes were a bit of a blur for Simran, as she couldn’t believe that the Gujarat-based franchise had indeed shelled out such a huge amount of money to rope her in.
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“ Mujhe ummeed nahi thi ke auction mein itna paisa milega (I did not expect to get so much money in the auction),” an emotional Simran told Sportstar from Ahmedabad, where she is with the Mumbai team for the Senior Women’s One Day Trophy.
Hailing from Dharavi, Asia’s largest slum, never in her life has Simran seen that much money, so when the auctioneer Mallika Sagar announced the amount, it took her a few seconds to add up the numbers.
“It’s a huge money for sure, but more than the money, I am looking forward to returning to the WPL after a hiatus,” Simran said, making it clear that her ultimate goal is to play for India. “And to ensure that my dreams come true, I will have to play to my potential for Gujarat Giants and make every opportunity count…”
Life hasn’t been easy for the 22-year-old.
While her father Jahid Ali is an electrician in Dharavi, Simran got attracted to cricket as a youngster and would play with the boys at her mohalla. Coming from a conservative family, even her parents took convincing.
“I have heard so many taunts and abuses from neighbours and family for playing cricket that those things don’t affect me anymore,” Simran said.
Living with 11 people in a tiny two-room house, Simran, who has four sisters and three brothers, would initially hear taunts from her siblings, too.
“People in our neighbourhood had problems with me playing cricket with boys, and they would complain every now and then to my parents. I would ignore all those complaints because I knew if I have to play cricket, I need to stay focused,” she said.
After seeing her play, one of her brothers advised Simran to get enrolled in a club. Back then, the youngster had no idea about domestic cricket for women, but it was her brother who took her to the United Cricketers Club in Cross Maidan, where she honed her skills and also learned the technical aspect of the game.
As she started performing well at the club level, Simran could eventually convince her Abbu and Ammi (Akhtari Bano) to let her chase her dreams. “It wasn’t easy. But now when I look back, every bit of those struggles seems to be worth it,” Simran said with a smile.
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“After I got picked by the Gujarat Giants yesterday, my parents told me that they were very proud of me. That’s something I wanted to hear for all these years and I am glad that they have been around me through thick and thin…”
Back in 2023, Simran was bought by UP Warriorz at her base price of Rs 10 lakh, and even though she featured in nine matches for the franchise in the inaugural edition of the WPL, the batter had a forgettable outing, scoring just 29 runs at a strike rate of 60.41 and an average of 5.80. The UP franchise, obviously, did not retain for the following season and last year, she went unsold in the auction.
“During the first edition of the WPL, I was very raw and did not have enough experience of playing at such a big level. So, I could not play to the best of my abilities,” Simran said, admitting that the last year has been challenging for her.
“Definitely, it was not pleasant to be left out of the tournament, but I did not lose hope. I worked hard and tried to get better,” she said. While she left no stone unturned, her efforts did not reflect in her performances for Mumbai in this year’s Senior Women’s T20 Trophy. Even though her team emerged as the champion, Simran scored 176 runs at a strike rate of just above 100. “My coach in the Mumbai team helped me immensely during this challenging phase, and whenever I needed any help, my friend Humaira Kazi (also a regular campaigner for Mumbai and Mumbai Indians) ensured that I had her back, and that really boosted my morale,” she added.
Featuring for Team E in the recently concluded T20 Challenger Trophy, Simran improved her strike rate significantly as she hammered six fours and seven sixes in just 40 balls across five innings. “I maintained a strike rate of 202.50. Everyone told me that this strike rate will help me find a team in the WPL, but I wasn’t convinced until Sunday afternoon,” Simran said, adding with a smile: “To be honest, I thought I would be picked for Rs 10-20 lakh, but as the price went beyond a crore, I actually pinched myself a couple of times to make sure I wasn’t dreaming…”
She certainly wasn’t. With that huge deal, she is now the second-highest paid uncapped player after Kashvee Gautam, who grabbed a Rs 2 crore contract with Gujarat Giants last year.
While Simran admires Virat Kohli and dreams of meeting the superstar cricketer someday, she does not have an idol. “I consider myself as my idol. Those days of struggle have taught me to never lose hope, no matter how tough things become and I have just done that,” she said.
Once the ongoing domestic tournament ends in the last week of December, Simran wants to return home, spend some time with the family, unwind and then again, get into the groove.
With a second chance coming her way, Simran wants to live her ‘ zindagi’!
