Indian opening batswoman Punam Raut from Mumbai underwent mixed emotions as she arrived at the Chattrapati Shivaji International Airport along with the Indian women’s cricket team on Wednesday. Not to forget, she was the highest scorer in the ICC Women’s World Cup final at Lord’s on Sunday against England from the Indian side scoring 86 runs. Unfortunately, she was not able to lead the team to victory.
Mumbai U-23 and U-19 women’s teams along with their selectors, coaches, officials, former India and Mumbai women’s cricketers were present at the airport for welcoming the team. Mumbai Cricket Association president Ashish Shelar and joint secretary Dr PV Shetty were also present at the moment. Though Punam was delightfully surprised at their warm welcome, she also displayed an apologetic nature for not being able to come home as a champion.
She said, “I gave my 100 per cent in each and every match. Our goal was to win the final, but we couldn’t achieve that. I express my apology to all Indians. I fell short in my attempt to win this World Cup for my country, but I assure you that the next time we will perform better and win.”
Talking about the warm welcome the team received at the airport, she said, “Honestly, I didn’t expect such a huge reception here. I expected a crowd, but not this large. This is way beyond my expectations and we are very pleased to see this positive response from people here despite our defeat in the final. It’s nice to feel welcome.”
She also said that being able to defeat team like Australia, England and New Zealand is also a big achievement and expressed her gratitude towards the support staff of the team.