Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues' parents support their girls from the stands

Jemimah Rodrigues' father Ivan and mother Lavita during the women's T20 match at Wankhede yesterday. Pics/Subodh Mayure

Jemimah Rodrigues' father Ivan, who is also her coach, felt that better promotion for yesterday's exhibition Indian Premier League-style T20 game would have attracted a decent crowd at the Wankhede Stadium.

"I watched the three India v Australia ODI matches in Baroda and no less than 15,000 people turned up for the matches. I saw big hoardings featuring Mithali Raj, Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana. "A stand should have been allotted for girls who play for Mumbai. Of course, another reason for the low turn-out was because today is a weekday. Plus, the game was held in the afternoon," said Ivan, 47.

Smriti Mandhana's father Shrinivas and mother Smita

Trailblazers' Jemimah scored a 23-ball 25 against Supernovas but her effort went in vain as her team lost by three wickets. Her parents watched the action from the Garware Pavilion. "She had to accelerate, but the wicket was slightly slow and the ball was not coming on to the bat. Overall, I think she played well," added Ivan. Jemimah's mother Lavita accompanied Ivan.

"She played well, but I would love to see her score an unbeaten half-century," Lavita said. Meanwhile, Trailblazers skipper Smriti Mandhana's parents - Shrinivas and Smita - came all the way from Sangli to watch their daughter play. "This exhibition match is a good initiative by the BCCI. We have seen how the Indian boys get groomed while playing against top-class foreign players in the IPL. "The women cricketers will benefit similarly," said Shrinivas, who had represented Sangli District in Maharashtra Cricket Association's Jasdanwala Trophy in 1978-79.

Also Read: T-20 Exhibition Tie: Thriller At Wankhede Amidst Poor Turn-Out

Catch up on all the latest T20 news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates