Father Takes Loans to Build Cricket Ground, Daughter Repays By Earning India Cap!

Written by Chaitra Krishnan, MA (Journalism & Mass Communication)  • 

Fathers in India often carry the burden of debts on their shoulders either to pay for their daughter’s dowry or to meet the expenses of her marriage. If the daughter is lucky enough, their fathers might take loans to pay for their education as well. However, there are very few parents who are ready to do that for their daughter’s interest in arts or sports. For this very reason, India would have lost innumerable artists, musicians, dancers, sportsmen, and athletes; some even before they were born. But Priya Punia, the latest sensation of the Indian women’s cricket team is among those lucky girls whose parents were bold enough to swim against the tide.

Those of you who follow the amazing team of our women in blue would definitely know the 22-year-old Priya Punia who rose to fame after her excellent performance on field. The promising cricketer is considered to be among the possible heirs of legendary players like Mithali Raj. If it wasn’t for her father, Priya wouldn’t have been in the team making us all proud. This man sold his personal property and took loans so that he could build a cricket ground for his daughter to practice. He’s a gem of a father, isn’t he? Read on to know more about Priya’s walk into fame through years of struggle.

Early Life

Image: Instagram @priyapunia16

Priya Puniya was born to a middle-class family in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Surender Punia, her father, was a head clerk in the Indian Survey Department and her mother was a homemaker. She has a younger brother Rahul Punia who is also a cricketer. She graduated from Jesus and Mary College, Delhi after which she actively focused on her career in cricket. Priya used to be keen on playing badminton when she was in school but as she grew up, she realized that her true love is cricket. As a young nine-year-old, she was enrolled in the Surana Academy of Cricket in Rajasthan. We’re glad that Priya’s parents recognized her talent and encouraged her right from the beginning.

The Father With The Golden Heart

Image: Instagram

Priya’s father Surender wanted to become a cricketer himself and when he discovered that his daughter was interested in the sport, he supported her goals. He even coached her. When Priya went to get herself registered at a cricket academy in Jaipur, she was mocked by the representatives for dreaming big about the sport despite being a girl. After this bitter experience, Priya decided not to join the academy and her father went on to make a special practicing pitch for her! He sold his property and bought land worth 22 lakh Rupees to construct a cricket ground so that Priya got the best facilities to learn and practice. Surender first approached a field setter to set up a proper pitch and net in the ground. But when he realized that it would cost around one lakh Rupees, he set the place for practice all by himself.

Climbing The Ladder Of Domestic Cricket

Image: Instagram @priyapunia16

Priya Punia is a right-handed batswoman and right arm medium fast bowler. Priya was lucky enough to be coached for 7 years by Rajkumar Sharma who is popular for being the coach of Indian Men’s Cricket team captain, Virat Kohli. After years of formal training, Priya finally made her first appearance in cricket during a T20 domestic match held in Bengaluru. She played in the Delhi team for the match that was against Hyderabad. With her impressive performance, Priya soon started playing for one-day matches. In just 8 matches, Priya scored 407 runs earning an average of 50 runs per match! For a newcomer, this was a big deal and the fame was almost at her doorstep by then.

Entering The Blue League

Image: Instagram @priyapunia16

Being the amazingly talented and hardworking player that she is, Priya had to wait for a while to enter the world of international cricket. When Priya found out that an assistant of a highly ranked BCCI official offered her father to help find a place for Priya in the team, she refused. She said that there was no satisfaction in getting into the team through recommendation. The girl wanted to make it on her own and she did! Last year Priya made her debut in international cricket in a match against Australia. In December 2018, she joined the Indian women’s T-20 team and performed exceptionally well.
Priya Punia loves to play at the third wicket and her fans have high hopes on her. The young cricketer has around 33K followers on Instagram! On field or off the field, she is definitely under tremendous pressure when it comes to her performance in future tournaments.

Like how they say that there’s a woman behind every successful man, behind every successful daughter there’s a father who believes in her. This is certainly true for Priya which is why she considers her father as her role model. Did you find Priya and her father’s story inspiring? Who is your favorite player in the Indian Women’s Cricket team? Let us know in the comments section below.

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