Yes it’s true that star opener Punam Raut of Indian Women cricket team at the age of 12 was selected in boys Under-14 team. Punam. It was Punam Raut’s childhood coach, Sanjay Gaitonde, as he was so impressed by her talent that he pressed her towards the boy’s under-14 camp (Organized by Mumbai Cricket Association) without letting her know that it was only for boys.
Raut told in an interview to TV channel it was her coach who forced her to join the camp and surprisingly she was slected. Moreover, she added that she given three trail and was selected in all three of those by Anil Muzumdar. But when Anil Muzumdar asked her name and she spelled it Punam than only he came to know that she was a girl. And he immediately asked her that what she is doing in boy’s camp as it is just meant to boys only.
Punam Raut was really disappointed by this as she was selected in all three trails which prove that she was brilliant performer in the camp. She also added that she had a dream of facing the good bowling attack and need a company of good better both which can be attained with boys camp. But she accepted the truth and continued playing in girls team and became a best cricketer here also and given her consistent performance in ICC Women’s World Cup 2017
Raut and Indian star opener Rohit Sharma both played at the same training camp when she was 10. In-fact Rohit Sharma is just two years elder than Punam Raut.
Punam Raut Batting Stats
| Mat | Inns | NO | HS | SR | Avg | Runs | 100 | 50 | |
| Tests | 2 | 3 | 0 | 130 | 33.18 | 48.66 | 146 | 1 | 0 |
| ODIs | 53 | 53 | 5 | 109* | 57.5 | 32.64 | 1567 | 2 | 10 |
| T20Is | 35 | 31 | 5 | 75 | 92.17 | 27.65 | 719 | 0 | 4 |
Raut showed consistency as an opener in ICC Women’s World Cup 2017. She played exceptionally well in the finals also but also disappointed that not bring the cup to country but on the other hand happy that her team performed well. Raut also hold world record opening partnership of 320 runs along with Deepti Sharma under her name, she contributing 109.
