While the doughty Indian women’s captain Mithali Raj's story is one of talent, single-mindedness and committed hard work, there are others in the Indian women's cricket team who are inspiring in different ways. We look at some of the women who have come up the hard way and have persevered in spite of difficulties to become household names today.
Her 171 not out against the Australians in the semi finals was instrumental in winning India the match and will be remembered for a very long time. Her father being a basketball and volleyball player, sports was perhaps a natural inclination for Harmanpreet. But it wasn’t easy. Cricket training meant a commute of 30 km to her cricket academy and having to play with men during the formative years; which she says is reponsible for her hard-hitting aggressive style today. She worked with the Indian railways and moved to Mumbai to pursue cricket.
As an all rounder and vital part of the bowling attack, she was been a mainstay of the women’s cricket team for years and is currently the highest wicket taker in women’s ODIs. She took up cricket at age 15, before which she was a football fan. Her parents wanted her to concentrate on studies rather than cricket. Her hometown of Nadia, had no cricket facilities and she had to travel to Kolkata for training.
From Agra, UP, she is the youngest of seven siblings. She is just 19 but has already set records and is one of the team’s most important players being a highly competent all rounder. As a child she would badger her father to make her brother take her for cricket practice. She was a natural at the game from early on and could casually hit the stumps from far off (a talent which she displayed in the recently concluded tournament).
The youngest of four siblings, Veda was born in Karnataka. She was a black belt in karate at age 12. The daughter of a cable operator; she had to move to Bengaluru to realize her dream of playing for the country one day since there were no cricket facilities in the small place where she lived. This all rounder showed her mettle repeatedly during the just concluded world cup.
She is an engineer, an officer in the Indian Air Force and a vital part of the Indian women's cricket team. She also grew up playing cricket with the boys and later played with the Goa Cricket Association. Today Shikha Pandey is an air traffic controller with the IAF and also a fast bowler for her team.
Poonam Raut is a daughter of a Mumbai cab driver who borrowed money to fund her cricket coaching. She was just 6 when she became obsessed with the game. Today she plays for the country and also holds a record of a 320 run partnership with Deepti Sharma.
Thanks to their gutsy performance in the World Cup and notwithstanding the defeat in the finals, these women are now an inspiration for an entire generation of young female cricket aspirants.
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