The Mumbai Indians are hosting the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Sunday afternoon at the Wankhede stadium.
This is a unique game in a sense of the spectators that will be attending this match.
It is the ESA Day and the ESA game, where MI owner Nita Ambani has given free entry to 19,000 girls from 36 different NGOs across the city.
“It’s the most special game of the year for us. It’s the ESA game! Imagine 19,000 girls from across various NGOs in the city bracing the stands and egging the team on. Ah, the adrenaline rush!” said the Mumbai Indians website about this special day.
What to expect from their special fans: “the goosebumps of an ESA day too with 19000 girls shouting MUMBAIII…MUMBAIII !!!” the site added in their preview.
Mumbai Indians have given free entry to 19,000 girls in the stadium
This is an initiative for the special ESA day (Education and Sports For All), an initiative by Reliance Foundation, marshaled by Nita Ambani.
For this special occasion, the Mumbai Indians players will be wearing the WPL jerseys in their match against KKR.
Their Twitter handle posted pictures of their players with the WPL style jerseys.
आपले boys are all set for the #ESADay 👕💙
#OneFamily #MumbaiIndians #MumbaiMeriJaan #ESADay @ril_foundation pic.twitter.com/hujrhb4Mlf— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) April 15, 2023
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) April 15, 2023
More than 19000 girls cheering for the team – it’s going to be a special class in session today. 💙
Paltan, ready for #ESADay? 😍#OneFamily #MIvKKR #MumbaiMeriJaan #MumbaiIndians #TATAIPL #IPL2023 @ril_foundation pic.twitter.com/03sKDHcmxC
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) April 16, 2023
Mark Boucher, the head coach of the MI men’s team, Jhulan Goswami, the MI women’s team’s bowling coach, and Kieron Pollard, the Mumbai men’s batting coach, spoke of this laudables initiative, saying that this will motivate the girls to take up the sport professionally.
“Mumbai Indians have been fantastic in creating this initiative and hopefully, it’s going to go out to the rest of the world. The biggest lesson is that they will take away from this game as well is that seeing sports and inspiring them to be able to play sport at a professional level one day,” Boucher said in a video uploaded by Mumbai Indians’ Twitter handle.
“Definitely, it’s going to motivate them and encourage them. In the future, we will see a lot of girls coming into the sport,” Goswami said.
“I think that’s a fantastic sort of gesture, not only for kids or whatever, but for the ladies of this generation. It’s very very instrumental in the development of any kid and, more so, ladies and girls, especially in sports. So, it gives you a different perspective of what you can accomplish as an individual and as a female,” said Pollard.
