'She plays cricket, and one day she will play for India', says Charani on her mother's unwavering faith

New Delhi, Sep 27 (IANS) For India’s left-arm spinner N Shree Charani, who’s all set to play in 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup, the unwavering support of her mother gave her the confidence to play for the country.

Hailing from the YSR-Kadapa district in Andhra Pradesh, Charani caused a bidding war at last year’s WPL auction and was eventually roped in by Delhi Capitals (DC) for INR 55 lakh, where she left a lasting impression in the competition this year.

That paved her way to India debut in white-ball formats and now Charani is all set to play in the World Cup, starting on September 30. “My mother accepted my decision to become a cricketer immediately, but my father took about a year to come around. My mother and uncle supported me from the very beginning, while my sister and father needed more time.”

“My mother always had confidence that I would make it big in cricket. Once, when we went to a gold shop in Kadapa, the cashier asked about the kit bag I was carrying. My mom replied, ‘She plays cricket, and one day she will play for India’.”

“She was the first person who believed in me. Everyone dreams of playing for India and in a World Cup. I feel lucky to have this opportunity, and I will try my best to do well for the team and for India,” said Charani to JioStar.

Asked on how she transitioned from fast bowling to left-arm spin, Charani said, “Since childhood, I played cricket with my friends. I was around six when my dad sent me to a badminton academy. After seeing me run, my PT sir advised me to also play kho-kho and participate in athletics. I did that for two years along with cricket.”

“In my locality, kho-kho and athletics were played professionally, but cricket wasn’t. In 9th standard, I played district-level cricket, and by 10th, I asked my father to let me take up cricket seriously. It took him a year to be convinced, and then COVID-19 disrupted two crucial years of my career.”

“In my village, we played on turf where if the ball went out of bounds, it was considered out. Back then, I was a medium-pacer, but I wasn’t very effective, batters rarely got out. That’s when I decided to become a spinner. Once I started bowling spin, I began picking wickets consistently because batters struggled against my deliveries. That’s how my journey as a spinner began,” she concluded.

--IANS

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