Guwahati, July 3: The Assam Cricket Association on Monday felicitated wicketkeeper batter Uma Chetry for becoming the first cricketer from Assam to make it to the national cricket team.
The 20-year-old cricketer, who hails from a village in Upper Assam’s Golaghat district, was on Sunday named in both the T20 and ODI women’s teams for India’s upcoming Bangladesh tour.
The team, which will be led by Harmanpreet Kaur, will play three T20s and an equal number of ODIs during the tour this month.
Acknowledging the feat, ACA president Taranga Gogoi and ACA secretary Tridib Konwar handed over a cheque for Rs 5 lakh to her during a felicitation programme here.
The ACA president, while congratulating Uma, termed her selection to the national team a historic feat for Assam cricket.
“We are extremely glad and happy with this development. I hope this will open up a new road for our boys and girls in the coming days. I’m sure in future, we will have more players who will go on to represent India,” Gogoi said.
The wicket-keeper batter was a part of the India A team that won the Asia Emerging Cricket Tournament in Hong Kong recently. In the two matches India got to play there, Uma played a crucial role both as a batter and a keeper behind the stumps.
Reacting on her selection to the national squad, Uma said: “It feels great to be selected to the national team. I just can’t express my feelings in words. I’m overwhelmed with the love of the people of Assam.”
“I hope this love will continue so that I can keep performing. Special thanks to Assam Cricket Association and Bokakhat Cricket Association for their immense support in my journey,” she said.
Congratulating her on the achievement, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took to Twitter on Monday to say: “Cricketing in Assam enters a glorious new chapter as we proudly witness our first-ever representation in the Indian Women’s National Cricket Team. Congratulations to Uma Chetry for her remarkable achievement, becoming the trailblazer from our state to don the Blue jersey!
“We support Uma and the team in their upcoming tour to Bangladesh, wishing them resounding success on the field.”
