Who is Jacintha Kalyan? India's first ever Women Pitch Curator

Jacintha Kalyan's career journey has been nothing short of inspirational. Evolving from a receptionist to handling administrative responsibilities and now assuming the position of a pitch curator, is truly remarkable. With over 30 years of association with the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), Jacintha is poised to make history as the country's first female pitch curator, breaking a year-long stereotype.

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Kalyan hailed from a family of paddy farmers, Jacintha will be responsible for overseeing pitch preparations for the initial leg of this year's Women's Premier League (WPL) in Bengaluru. Jacintha departed from her village of Harobele, situated 80 kilometers from Bengaluru, to accept a position as a receptionist at the KSCA office in Chinnaswamy Stadium. Little did she know at that time that three decades later, she would be assuming the responsibilities of a pitch curator.

“I’m not a cricketer, I used to watch the game once in a while. Except for fours and sixes, I understood nothing. In 2014, Brijesh (Patel) sir (the then KSCA Secretary) asked me to do some man management of the groundsmen. It took me around 6 months to get used to the role. Then he asked Prashanth (Rao) sir (chief curator) to guide and teach me everything about the art of preparing pitches since he thought I showed interest,” Jacintha said as reported by Deccan Herald.

She has become the trailblazing pioneer: Jay Shah

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The Secretary of the Indian Cricket Board, Jay Shah has offered heartfelt commendation to Jacintha Kalyan for her pioneering accomplishment as the inaugural female pitch curator in the history of Indian cricket. Presently, Kalyan is supervising the pitch arrangements for the Women's Premier League (WPL) in Bengaluru, representing a noteworthy milestone for gender diversity in the sport.

"In a historic stride for Indian cricket, Jacintha Kalyan has become the trailblazing pioneer as the first female cricket pitch curator in our nation. Taking the helm of pitch preparation for the inaugural leg of the Women's Premier League in Bengaluru, Jacintha embodies the essence of determination and the will to break barriers," Shah expressed via his official Twitter handle.

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In a historic stride for Indian cricket, Jacintha Kalyan has become the trailblazing pioneer as the first female cricket pitch curator in our nation. 🙌 Taking the helm of pitch preparation for the inaugural leg of the Women's Premier League in Bengaluru, Jacintha embodies the… pic.twitter.com/AVqLondy77

— Jay Shah (@JayShah) February 27, 2024