Domestic cricket has always been a breeding ground for some of the best Indian cricketers. Some learn from the seniors, some enjoy the exposure and some are there to create a lasting impact. One such incident happened on Day 7 of Senior Women’s T20 League i.e on 20th October 2019 when a Kerala girl became the talk of the ‘cricket town.’
Jincy George has been a regular feature in the Kerala Women’s Cricket team. She scored a mammoth 108 in just 67 balls against Manipur and became one of the 3 centurions in Women’s Senior League 2019. The cricket fraternity took notice of Jincy’s caliber and her social media flooded with congratulatory messages and warm wishes.
We, at Female Cricket, reached out to Jincy to learn more about her journey and she came across as very humble, down to earth and super positive human-beings we have ever interviewed. Her story is here to inspire you to take the plunge and trust your instincts.
1. What age did you start playing cricket?
I started playing cricket when I was 13. I was studying in 8th standard.
2. Tell us something about your childhood days and how you were introduced to cricket?
I used to play backyard cricket with my cousins and neighbors right from my childhood and I used to watch India matches when I was young and I always wished that If women’s matches were played, I could also represent my country playing in the blue jersey. I used to share this with my parents and neighbors but most of them took it as a joke.
3. Were you always a sportsperson? What drew you towards choosing cricket among other sports?
There were no cricket academies/training centers for women cricketers in my place when I was studying in school. During school days I was an active athlete. I used to win medals in various athletic meets. During that time selection trials for district cricket team came up and I took part in it. I attended the trials as a bowler. Subsequently, I got selected for the district team and played my first match in Kozhikode.
4. Were you good at academics? How did you manage your studies and playing cricket together?
I was very good at academics until I took cricket seriously, after which, I spent most of my time and energy for practice sessions and matches so I couldn’t focus on my studies as much as I was doing earlier. But my teachers and friends were of great support and they helped me a lot right from my schooling until I graduated from college.
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5. What did you enjoy more? – batting or bowling when you were young?
I enjoyed my bowling more when I was young. During my formative years, I focused more on my fast bowling skills and my batting sessions were less compared to those of bowling.
6. What made you choose cricket professionally?
I was always passionate about cricket and I loved the game since my childhood. I always believed that I can build my life over cricket and chose cricket as my profession. In the beginning, I faced a lot of criticism and challenges but the spirit of cricket always gave me the power to fight them all.
7. Who were your cricketing role model/inspiration whilst growing up?
My role models were Sachin Tendulkar and Mithali Raj. It is my greatest wish to play in Mithali di’s team and open the innings with her.
8. Which club/academy did you join to take your cricket forward?
I started practicing cricket in Quilon District Cricket Association’s (QDCA) training center and later I continued my training with Kollam district academy boys. After some years I started training in different academies outside Kerala for advanced training and improvised practice to fine-tune my skills. Recently I represented Prathibha Cricket Club in the District 1st division league (Men) and we emerged as the Champions last season.
9. How has the Kerala Cricket Association contributed to your career?
Kerala Cricket Association has always been the backbone of my development through which I have been able to perform and contribute to my team consistently. They have always recognized and acknowledged my performances and motivated me with felicitations and awards which keeps me grounded and focused to work even more harder and get better day by day. Being awarded as The Cricketer of the Year by KCA last season was one fine example of their constant encouragement. They have always been very supportive and are a huge source of motivation right through my career.
10. What role has your friends and family played in your journey? Were they always supportive?
My friends and family play a key role in both my personal life and my professional life. They always back me up through my highs and lows. My friends were my main support system when I was struggling at some stage of my life. They believed in me and my abilities as much as I did.
11. What has been your best memory from the ongoing Women’s Senior T20 games?
Of course, scoring century this T20 is my best memory because it was my first century in a state match. Scoring half-centuries in a couple of innings were very special too. In short, I enjoyed the tournament thoroughly and each game is very memorable for me. Usually, I will take the positives from the series and will work to improve them and I will focus on the weak areas to work on it and overcome the shortcomings as well.
12. How does it feel to be one of the very few players to have hit a ton in the domestic senior games? You scored 108 in just 67 balls. What was going through your mind that day?
Indeed I am happy to achieve the mark but relaxed as well. There was nothing special in my mind that day. I prepared myself just the same way I would prepare myself for every match. I just wanted to be in the moment and bat till the end.
13. Who are the cricketers you admire from the current women’s and the men’s teams?
Women’s team – Mithali Raj and Harmanpreet Kaur
Men’s team – Virat Kohli
14. Do you set goals for yourself or you prefer going with the flow?
Yeah! I do believe in setting goals.
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15. How do you deal with pressure and competition around you?
I always follow the vibe of being in the moment. I do have a competitive spirit but my competitor is myself. I’m always fighting to beat myself to present the better version of me. Apart from that, there is no pressure or distraction that affects my game in any way.
16. How would you rank Kerala Women’s Cricket Team? What do you think are its strengths and weaknesses?
I do believe that we have a bunch of talents who are very skillful in backing all the 3 departments – batting, bowling, and fielding. We are working as a well-coordinated team and are looking forward to producing some very good results. We have a powerful supporting staff with Suman Ma’am leading from the front. I believe that as a team we are strong enough to create history in the future.
17. Kerala won 4 of their 7 games in the league rounds. What were some of the key learnings from this series?
I am happy with my performance but I was disappointed about the fact that we couldn’t lead our team through to the Super League. Some of our key players couldn’t make it to the T20s due to various reasons. The team always eyed for the super league and we tried our best in each game. One of the 7 matches was washed-out which cost us our chance of making it to the next round of matches. We certainly gained a lot of experience and we are looking forward to implementing the gains in our coming games.
18. Who are some of the team-mates you bond with even off the field?
I share a very good bonding with everyone, especially these three Rensy E, Shani T, and AswathyMol AJ
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19. How do you think women’s cricket can be further promoted in India?
Compared to before, women’s cricket has developed and improved to a huge extent in India in the last few years. Earlier, we used to get 10-12 matches at the max in one whole year but now we are playing almost double the number of games which is a positive sign. Happy to see this drastic change.
Women’s IPL can further create an impact on girls and also improve women’s cricket in India. Televising the matches is another way of promoting women’s cricket in India.
Visual representation always brings out the hard work the girls are putting in to up their game and amount the talent they possess. It will motivate them to work more, analyze their strengths and weaknesses and also aid the amateurs to connect with the game.
20. Your views on our initiative – Female Cricket? We would appreciate your suggestions.
Female cricket is playing a fantastic role in the promotion of budding cricketers. The cricket academy for girls is a really good initiative for new aspiring young talents. The social media influence of Female Cricket is also creating a huge impact among cricket followers in India. Keep doing the good work in supporting and inspiring the girls who love cricket. Thank you so much for spending your valuable time with me. Wishing all the upcoming stars my best wishes for their cricketing career and Female Cricket as well for the incredible support you show for women’s cricket in India.
Loves all things female cricket