Anand Mahindra gets humble request from India's top tennis player after gifting cricketers

At 13 years old, tennis player Chandni Srinivasan does not want much. The Hyderabad local is the No.1 player in the girls U-14 category in India but has hit a roadblock in furthering her career, one that is all too common for young sportspersons in India — a lack of funds. On a campaign to get herself some support, Srinivasan took to Twitter to address Indian billionaire businessman Anand Mahindra. 

Also Read | Eng VO: Djokovic Wins Serbia A Point, Whilst Berrettini Defeats Thiem In ATP Cup

India U-14 tennis champion's request for Anand Mahindra

Chandni Srinivasan’s decision to petition the Mahindra Group chairman is not entirely random. Of course, a part of it is that he is one of the country's richest people and tennis, being an expensive sport, requires that kind of investment. But another huge part of Srinivasan’s decision to pinpoint Mahindra as her potential sponsor is the fact that the business mogul has a keen interest in sports. Just last month Mahindra announced a reward for six of the Indian Men's cricket team's youngest players, each of whom played a crucial role in the team's historic victory in Australia.

Also Read | Federer Targets Tournament Comeback In Qatar Next Month

In a tweet after India's Border-Gavaskar trophy win, Anand Mahindra had written that he would be gifting the brand new Mahindra Thar SUVs to Mohammed Siraj, T. Natarajan, Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar, Shubman Gill and Navdeep Saini out of his own pocket, with no cost to his company. “The reason for this gift is to exhort young people to believe in themselves & Take the road less travelled,” Mahindra wrote. This is the idea that Srinivasan latched on to as she requested his help in furthering her career — a path that is surely a less travelled one in India.

Chandni became the No. 1 ranked player in the country in the U-14 category in March last year following the publication of AITA rankings. As the runner up of the U-12 nationals, she was selected to play in the Asian U-12 Championship in Kazakhstan. Since 2019, she has won 6 Super Series U-14 titles, including the U-14 Super Series title at the Sania Mirza Tennis Academy and one at the South Club in Kolkata. She was also selected to represent the country at the World Junior Championship in Gold Coast last March. She has not received any public reply from Anand Mahindra as of now.

Also Read | Rafael Nadal Gives Fans Crucial Injury Update After Withdrawing From ATP Cup 2021 Match

India vs England 1st Test

Meanwhile, in the world of cricket, the India vs England 1st Test is set to begin on February 5. The Test will take place in Chennai and is scheduled to begin at 9:30 AM IST. The entire series can be watched live on television on the Star Sports Network and can be streamed live on the Disney+Hotstar app and website. Mohammad Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar and Shubman Gill are a part of the squad announced for the first two Tests.

Also Read | Kenin Back At Melbourne Park; Andreescu Out Of Open Warmup

Image Credits: Srini Tennis Twitter