Haryana U-23 champion Suman Sandhu receives hero’s welcome

Karnal’s daughter Suman Sandhu, an all-rounder in Haryana’s historic Women’s U-23 T20 championship win, received an emotional and celebratory welcome on Friday. Family members, villagers and supporters gathered to honour the young cricketer, whose dedication — from travelling 25km daily for training to delivering strong performances on the field — has made her a source of pride for the entire district. She was part of the playing XI as Haryana lifted the trophy after defeating Delhi in the final held in Ahmedabad.

Suman, who comes from Gagsina village and whose father is a farmer, dedicated her achievement to her parents. In a touching moment, she placed her medal around her mother’s neck. Her family spoke proudly of her discipline, determination and the challenges she has overcome.

“Our team wanted this trophy at any cost, for which we all played with full spirit,” Suman said. Reflecting on the championship, she explained, “This U-23 trophy included matches against several states. There were five league matches, and we won three to qualify for the quarterfinals. From there, we kept our momentum. We defeated Mumbai in the semifinals — a team we had actually lost to earlier. That loss stayed with us and made us even more determined.”

“In the final, we played with only one thought — this trophy must be ours — and we succeeded by beating Delhi. My biggest dream now is to play for the Indian national team,” she added.

Her father, Dinesh Sandhu, expressed pride in her success and urged parents to support their daughters in sports. “I congratulate all the daughters of Haryana for this victory. Every parent should give their daughters full opportunity. There should never be any difference between a son and a daughter,” he said.

He praised Suman’s hard work, noting her twice-daily training routine. “She would leave for practice at 6 in the morning and again in the evening. My only message to her is to keep working hard and success will surely follow,” he said.