Ahead of the WPL 2023, Royal Challenger Bangalore (RCB) mentor Sania Mirza joined the team and interacted with them on Friday. While talking to the players, Sania discussed that after leaving Tennis, she has decided to help women athletes in India in any sport.
“If somebody has anything to talk about I’m here I can give you my number for when I’m not here…we can have a chat, I’m just here as a friend.”
After New Zealand’s Sophie Devine asked Sania about her retirement, Sania said, “I was ready. I have a son and the last one year has been a struggle. I have had three surgeries.”
“I just made the final of Australia in the mix. I was like it’s good to go out on the top like I just wanted to stop. It’s exciting. I’m happy.”
“Photoshoots, media attention, I have dealt with all this for the past 20 years and I think I can help girls cope up with pressure,” she added.
RCB Director Mike Hesson spoke about the idea behind selecting Sania as a mentor. He said, “We haven’t had a mentor since the first few years because we felt within the cricket staff we covered most of the areas. We wanted somebody who can add something different and add some value to the group.”
“Somebody who could talk about the exciting challenges that lie ahead to each and every player in the room, about the opportunities that you will face over the next four-five weeks. There was no better opportunity for us to get Sania onboard.”
RCB will lock horns against Meg Lanning’s Delhi Capitals in their first encounter on Sunday, March 5 at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.