India women's cricketer Priya Punia lost her mother Saroj Punia to Covid-19 earlier this week, but the courageous youngster was back in the Indian camp with the rest of her teammates just a day later, prepping for the upcoming tour to England, starting next month.

"She has been an example of grit and boldness from the very beginning. We have played together for close to 6-7 years and she has inspired all of us with her temperament. What happened to her is upsetting but she has indeed taken a very bold and great step by joining the team for the tour, " Babita Negi, the captain of the Delhi team that Priya represented in domestic cricket, told kkr.in.

It was Priya's mother's dream to see her play for India, and despite the unfortunate loss in the family, the top-order batter took the brave call in a bid to make her mother proud. She took to social media to share the news about her mother and penned down a heartfelt tribute for her.
Priya's decision to attend national duty even after such a grave personal loss was welcomed by the cricket fraternity. From her teammates Mithali Raj and Punam Raut to IPL commentator and former Aussie cricketer Lisa Sthalekar, there had been outpouring messages of solidarity for the Jaipur-born cricketer.

"In this hour of grief, we (and I speak on behalf of the team) stand right beside you. We have your back. Be strong, kid," wrote Mithali Raj, via Twitter.

Sthalekar, the former Australian cricketer, wrote: "Sorry to hear of your tragic loss, @PriyaPunia6 . Om Shanti."


While Priya has already debuted in the ODIs and T20s, this might be a golden opportunity for her to don the Test jersey for the first time, as India women gear up to play a one-off Test against England from June 16 in Bristol.

In these trying times, such an act of valour and strength deserves special respect! We hope Priya and her family find the strength to cope with this terrible times, and she goes on to register some memorable performances in the upcoming tour.