Bat & Doll
Smriti… Smriti Mandhana. At the age of nine, she was selected in the Maharashtra’s Under-15 team. At eleven, she was picked for the Maharashtra Under-19s team. What do you think was the first stepping stone towards her success? Her family! Her father and her brother being into cricket and encouraging her towards it was the first step. Of course, her determination has a big share in it too. But a girl’s determination takes her nowhere without the support of her family. What comes to your mind when you have to buy a gift for a little girl in your family? A doll or a teddy or something like that; Isn’t it? Or you might just hand over some money. Why not bat and ball or some mechanic set? Because our mind has been conditioned that a girl isn’t supposed to play like guys; we never consider handing them a bat or a hockey stick or even screwdrivers. But why do we even classify normal activities into genders? The activities which can be performed by a woman without requiring extra efforts