Guwahati: Tennis legend Sania Mirza has been hired by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to serve as the team’s mentor in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) in 2023.
Athletes, whether they play cricket or tennis are made of the same stuff. They are fiercely competitive, passionate about their sport and they frequently play under pressure.
In her brilliant career which has included 6 Grand Slams and 43 Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Titles, Sania Mirza has done just that for 20 years.
Because Sania is someone the players can relate to and respond to readily in a team setting, and because of her international prominence as one of the top role models for many women, the RCB team management decided to bring her on board to inspire and motivate the women’s squad.
On the appointment of Sania Mirza as mentor, Rajesh V Menon, Head and Vice President of Royal Challengers Bangalore said in a statement, “We are glad and honoured to welcome Sania Mirza as a mentor of the RCB women’s team. She is the perfect role model with her success stemming out of her sheer hard work, passion, and determination, despite many challenges in her playing career. Sania is someone our young generation looks up to and she can motivate, encourage our team as she herself has been an uber-competitive player who understands how to overcome challenges and handle pressure in various situations at the highest level of sports. Her stature and gravitas as well as her attitude will inspire and bring the much-needed panache to transform the team with a Bold Personality.”
In her new role as RCB women’s team mentor, Sania Mirza, who has been honoured with Padma Bhushan, Arjuna Award and Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, said, “It is a pleasure for me to join the RCB women’s team as a mentor. Indian women’s cricket has seen a tectonic shift with the Women’s Premier League, and I am really looking forward to being a part of this revolutionary pitch. RCB and its brand philosophy perfectly resonates with my vision and outlook as that’s how I have approached my playing career and it’s also how I see contributing to sports post my retirement. RCB has been a popular team and much-followed team in the IPL over the years. I am immensely happy to see them building a team for the Women’s Premier League as it will push the women’s sports to new heights in the country, open new doors to women cricketers and help make sports the first career choice for young girls and young parents with a girl child.”
During the WPL auction on Monday in Mumbai, the RCB adopted a confident stance in order to build a team comprised of 18 of the best and most talented players in the world.
Star Indian batter Smriti Mandhana joined the RCB team and they also added notable international players like the Australian all-rounders Ellyse Perry and Megan Schutt, the captains of New Zealand and England as well as South Africa’s Dane Van Niekerk and Richa Ghosh, who plays for India’s under-19 team.
Smriti Mandhana, Ellyse Perry, Richa Ghosh, Indrani Roy, Disha Kasat, Shreyanka Patil, Kanika Ahuja, Asha Shobhana, Heather Knight, Dane van Niekerk, Preeti Bose, Poonam Khemnar, Komal Zanzad, Megan Schutt and Sahana Pawar are all members of Royal Challengers Bangalore.