Bhopal, Nov 7 (IANS) In a gesture of compassion and recognition, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav assured Kranti Gaud, one of the key players in the Indian women’s cricket team that helped bring the World Cup to India, that he would explore possibilities for reinstating her father in government service.

Kranti’s father, Munna Singh Gaud, a police constable, has been under suspension since 2011–12, reportedly for alleged negligence during election duty.

CM Yadav pledged swift action toward reinstatement.

The Chief Minister further shared that Kranti will be invited as a special guest on the occasion of Janjatiya Gaurav Divas in Jabalpur on November 15. The event is organised to celebrate the birth anniversary of legendary freedom fighter and tribal icon Birsa Munda.

“This family has given India a world champion,” CM Yadav said firmly, as his voice carried the weight of promise.

“We’ll explore every avenue, including the appeal provisions available, to set this right. Their story deserves not just applause, but support.”

CM Yadav kicked off the felicitation ceremony at his Bhopal residence by turning his attention to the quiet sacrifices behind a national hero’s glory.

Munna Singh had watched his and his daughter’s dreams come true amid relentless hardship. The family, uprooted from their official home, crammed into a rented space in Ghuwara village, a tribal pocket in Chhatarpur’s rugged Bundelkhand.

Kranti’s journey from a humble ball boy at local tennis ball cricket tournaments in Ghuwara village, Chhatarpur district, to becoming part of the World Champion squad is exemplary.

Kranti’s association with cricket began unusually. As a young girl, she often assisted in local tennis ball cricket events, tirelessly running errands and fetching balls, earning herself the nickname ‘Ball Boy’. But her true calling lay beyond the tennis tournaments.

As the youngest of six siblings, Kranti dropped out after Class 8, but her father’s unyielding belief fuelled her fire.

“Return home only after winning,” Kranti Goud’s father had told her before the tournament.

On November 2, at Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium, she did just that, helping India defend 299 to crush South Africa by 52 runs and claim the maiden ICC Women’s ODI World Cup.

The room, filled with senior officials, sports figures, and Kranti’s beaming relatives, hung on every word.

CM Yadav then shifted to celebration, draping a gold medal around the 22-year-old pacers’ neck and handing over the one crore rupee reward announced days earlier.

“Madhya Pradesh’s daughter has lit up the nation,” he added, linking her rise to the broader progress under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision.

“Our girls are charging ahead, bowl by blistering bowl.”

Kranti’s tournament haul – nine wickets in eight matches at 40.11, capped by a Player-of-the-Match haul of three against Pakistan – had already etched her name in history. But this wasn’t mere back-patting.

The event launched bigger dreams.

CM Yadav unveiled plans for a cutting-edge cricket stadium in Chhatarpur, tailored for women’s talent and village kids like Kranti.

“Our state overflows with raw potential,” he declared.

“This ground will turn small-town grit into world-class swings.”

Kranti stepped forward and said, “This moment isn’t mine alone,” she said, her tone a mix of gratitude and grit.

“It’s for every kid in Ghuwara kicking a ball on dirt fields, every girl dodging doubts to chase her shot.”

–IANS

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