Amanjot\u2019s grandmother, Bhagwanti, is bedridden after suffering a heart attack in September. \u201cThe news of India\u2019s victory last night and the outstanding performance by Amanjot have given a new life to my mother,\u201d was the first reaction of the cricketer\u2019s father, Bhupinder Singh, 54, who is a carpenter and crafted her first bat with his own hands, on Monday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He told IANS that his 75-year-old mother Bhagwanti Kaur suffered a heart attack and was again hospitalised last week owing to deteriorating health.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
On the request of the family that she should be allowed to stay at home till the final match, doctors discharged her on November 1.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThough my mother is bedridden but conscious, and we informed her about Amanjot\u2019s grand win, and she responded by opening her eyes,\u201d he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
India defeated South Africa by 52 runs. Amanjot joined the academy of cricket coach Nagesh Gupta when 15 and her father used to take her daily to the academy from Mohali, located on the outskirts of Chandigarh, on a scooter.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Amanjot was primarily a bowler before she met Chandigarh-based coach Gupta, who transformed her into an all-rounder after her debut in domestic cricket for Punjab in 2017-18. Later, she played for Chandigarh in 2019-20 and, from 2022-23, moved to Punjab.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Amanjot\u2019s catch in the Women\u2019s ODI World Cup 2025 final swung the game for India.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Narrating her daughter\u2019s struggle in the initial years, Bhupinder Singh, who was gifted a Mahindra Thar by his cricketer daughter in 2023, told IANS that his mother has been Amanjot\u2019s inspiration to enter the world of cricket.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWhen Amanjot started playing \u2018gully\u2019 (street) cricket with boys with a dupatta tied around the waist in front of our residence (in Mohali), my mother used to sit there for hours to see her performance and for a pep talk. Also, she used to keep an eye on anti-social elements,\u201d he said, adding that before entering cricket, his daughter played hockey, handball and football.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He said if his daughter had missed securing the catch of the South African skipper, she should be blamed if India lost the final. \u201cIf Amanjot had missed the catch and India lost the match, the entire blame should fall on my daughter. But the spectacular catch is a huge moment,\u201d he said with moist eyes and \u2018shukrana to waheguru\u2019, adding, \u201cIn fact, the catch was a game changer and that was the moment when India won and South Africa lost.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWhen Amanjot started playing \u2018gully\u2019 (street) cricket with boys with a dupatta tied around the waist in front of our residence (in Mohali), my mother used to sit there for hours to see her performance and for a pep talk. Also, she used to keep an eye on anti-social elements,\u201d he said, adding that before entering cricket, his daughter played hockey, handball and football.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)<\/p>\r\n\r\n