Sajeevan Sajana smashed a last-ball six to help defending champions Mumbai Indians to their first win in the 2024 Women’s Premier League – here’s all you need to know about the all-rounder.

Playing her first WPL game, Sajana walked out at 167-6 after Harmanpreet Kaur’s dismissal left Mumbai needing five runs off the final ball against Delhi Capitals yesterday (February 23). Facing Alice Capsey, who had early picked up two wickets, Sajana was unfazed as she came down the track and lofted the ball over long-on for a match-clinching six.

Sajana was bought by Mumbai Indians for INR 15 lakhs in the auction for the 2024 WPL in December after her performances in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy. Playing for Kerala, Sajana scored 134 runs with the bat at an average of 33.50 in seven innings at a strike rate of 108. She played several handy cameos, the highlight being a 14-ball 21 against Manipur. She also picked up six wickets with her off-spin, giving away runs at 5.21. She helped Kerala into the semi-final of the competition, where they lost to Uttarakhand.

Who is S Sajana?

Sajana made her professional debut in 2011 and has played 81 T20 games thus far. She has scored 1,093 runs and taken 58 wickets for Kerala. Sajana has also played 78 List A games with one hundred and five fifties. She has also played one domestic red-ball game in 2017 for South Zone.

In 2018, led by Sajana, Kerala entered the final of the Under-23 Twenty20 Super League for the first time. They went on to win the title, defeating Maharashtra, making it the first national title won by Kerala in men’s or women’s cricket. Sajana had picked up 12 wickets in the competition. The side was awarded INR 10 lakh each for their efforts.

That year, Sajana lost her house during the Kerala floods. The daughter of an auto-rickshaw driver, Sajana’s family struggled to make ends meet and sought shelter in a government school.

Her struggles were highlighted by Jemimah Rodrigues on social media today despite her side Delhi Capitals being at the receiving end of her game-sealing hit.

The result was not what we hoped for but what a finish by Sajju the debutant!

Comes from a humble background, lost almost everything in the Kerala floods, walks in when the team requires 1 ball 5 runs and hits an effortless six!

What a story and more over what a player! 🙌🏻 https://t.co/GFed06yrO2

— Jemimah Rodrigues (@JemiRodrigues) February 23, 2024

Sajana was unsold in the first season of the WPL and had a base price of INR 10 lakh for the 2024 auction. She has also acted in a Tamil movie Kanaa, a cricket drama film.

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