The Meghalaya Cricket Association (MCA) has announced that Debasmita Dutta, the state senior women’s team captain, has been selected to represent the India C team at the forthcoming Senior Women’s T20 Challenger Trophy.
This BCCI tournament will be played in Ranchi, Jharkhand, from 17 November.
Debasmita is a resident of Rynjah in Shillong and has played cricket from a young age. At the time Meghalaya was not a full member of the BCCI but when she moved to Bengaluru for her education she was talented enough to be selected for the Karnataka junior team.
An able batter and off-spin bowler, Debasmita returned to Meghalaya when the BCCI granted the state association full membership status and she is now one of the senior-most players who the others look up to and this feat will only provide further inspiration for Meghalaya’s female cricketers.
Recently, she was named Player of the Tournament at the NECDC 1st Senior Women’s Interstate Friendship T20 Tournament in Nongkhrah, Ri-Bhoi, and she was felicitated at the North East Cricket Development Council (NECDC) annual awards night in June.
Looking to the future, Debasmita has also cleared the Level A coaching course from Bengaluru’s National Cricket Academy. Although she has attended several national camps, she has never made the jump to the highest level. Last season, Meghalaya’s Ajima Sangma was also selected in the squad of India A but did not play a match.
Congratulatory messages have been pouring in from all over the state and the region, especially from NECDC member states, former players, coaches, current players and cricket enthusiasts.
MCA President Nababrata Bhattacharjee said, “She has been on the radar of the BCCI for the last few years but missed out narrowly. I’m extremely elated at her selection and hopefully she will perform well to merit a place in Team India or a Women’s Premier League franchise. I will ensure that she is not deprived if deserving.”
Similarly, MCA Honorary Secretary Gideon Kharkongor, who has seen Debasmita develop as a cricketer since her early days in the Shillong Cricket Academy, said that she deserves to be selected based on her long dedicate service to the sport she loves. “Her never-give-up attitude is to be appreciated and her opportunity to play in the Challenger Trophy will pave the way for her to play in the main Indian team and many youngsters will be motivated,” he added.
