Season 6 of the Mumbai Indians Junior Cricket Tournament concluded on a high note at the historic MIG Cricket Club in Bandra, where Modern English School (Girls U-15) emerged as champions among 17 competing teams. Mumbai Indians Head Coach Mahela Jayawardene attended the closing ceremony, applauding the young participants and encouraging them to pursue their ambitions in cricket.
“This is our sixth year of organising MI Junior, and it’s getting more exciting every year,” Jayawardene beamed. “Sports is about participating, and at this age, it is about enjoying the competition more than anything. We are at an iconic venue today, from where a lot of Indian cricketers started their journey. I saw some iconic pictures in the dressing rooms, and I know that Hardik (Pandya) has also practised here in his early days. This is a great starting point for you to push yourselves and one day, hopefully, don the colours of Mumbai.”
Girls U-15 final highlights
The spotlight fixture of the event was the Girls U-15 final, in which Modern English School (Chembur) defeated Parag English School by four wickets. Parag posted 132/8 in their 20 overs, with Vedika Nikam scoring 51 and Swaasti Shinde adding 23, while Rianna Nikhil (3/23) and Nysa Bhalerao (2/11) led the bowling effort. In reply, Modern chased down the target in 17.2 overs, finishing on 135/6, with Ruth Saluja contributing 40 and Tanvi Rane remaining unbeaten on 31. Advaita Toraskar picked up 3/25 for Parag.
Captain Swaraa Jadhav, who elected to field after winning the toss, guided her unbeaten team through the tournament. Modern topped the standings with six points from three matches and advanced past Shardashram Vidyamandir International School in the semi-final with a 52-run win after posting 194/6 in 20 overs.
Standout individual performances
Jadhav enjoyed an impressive campaign, accumulating 199 runs at a strike rate of 197.03 and an average of 66.33 across five innings. She also claimed six wickets at an average of 10.5 and an economy rate of 4.55 in four bowling outings, finishing joint-top of her team’s wicket charts. Tanvi Rane scored 137 runs at a strike rate of 147.31 and an average of 45.67 in four innings, while Ruth Saluja added 117 runs at a strike rate of 139.29 and an average of 58.50. Nysa Bhalerao led Modern’s bowling returns with six wickets at an average of 9.33 and an economy of 4.00 in four innings.
Across the competition, Parag’s Vedika Nikam topped the run-scoring charts with 229 runs at a strike rate of 181.75 and an average of 76.33 in five innings. Her teammate Mudra amassed 216 runs at a strike rate of 196.36 and an average of 43.20. With the ball, National English School’s Aanshu Ramesh Pal stood out with 11 wickets at an average of 3.82 and an economy rate of 2.86 in four innings, while Parag’s Advaita Toraskar finished with 10 wickets at an average of 6.7 and an economy of 3.47 in five outings.
Jayawardene’s message struck a strong chord with the emerging players, many of whom displayed determination and skill throughout the tournament. The MIG Cricket Club, long regarded as a breeding ground for cricketing talent, once again provided a stage for young athletes to take early steps in their sporting journeys.
