In an exclusive chat with the US women’s cricket star Anika Colanwe dive deep into his remarkable journey from a promising young player to a budding star in the world of cricket. Anika shares her passion for sports, the challenges she faces and her future aspirations. Born and raised in California, he discovered cricket at a young age through his father and older brother, who were deeply involved in the local promotion of the sport. Anika’s first interest was sparked when she attended her family’s cricket practice and was hooked from then on.
Despite the challenges of balancing academics with a budding sports career, Anika managed to excel thanks to her family’s unwavering support and self-disciplined approach. Especially as a young girl entering a traditionally male-dominated sport, her journey has not been without obstacles. Anika faced skepticism and discouragement, but her resilience helped her overcome these obstacles and made her one of the pioneers of women’s cricket in the United States.
Here are some highlights from the interview:
Q: Tell us about your cricket journey, how did it all start?
Anika: So, thanks to my father and elder brother, I started playing Cricket first. It’s my brother’s name Anish and he’s three years older than me, when I first started playing cricket I was born and raised in California and there wasn’t much of a cricket community. First of all, the Indian community, when I first moved to my new neighborhood, my father, brother and a few other uncles had just started adding a cricket program to the local clubs, the local schools, and they were very involved. but my mom and i got away for a bit, we focused on our studies and stuff like that, but one time my mom and i were doing math homework at home and i just wanted to take a break from math homework, so i went with my brother. and my dad was dropped off for cricket practice and from there I got really interested. I was immediately interested, started asking questions, and a week later I signed up for my first summer camp, and that’s how it all started, from age 9 or 10 to now 18.
Q: How did you manage your studies while playing cricket?
Anika: It wasn’t that easy, so I was in my junior year of high school, which is my 11th grade, but I played in 2023 like the first U19 World Cup and I had to spend the first half of my junior year online because it was just . so much travel. I traveled to Dubai twice that year, the camps would be election camps and of course the World Cup, so with the support of my parents we would be in my school counselor’s office two or three times a week for an hour each time. mostly and yes, it was just very convincing and of course my school helped a lot, but yes, it wasn’t necessarily easy, but I think finding the right amount of balance and prioritizing when you can.
I think it comes with a lot of sacrifice, knowing that cricket is growing in the US now, so there are times when you want to take the initiative to do your homework first or do your homework instead of just relaxing and putting it off. study first and then spare extra time and practice to focus it on your fitness for your cricket. I think it’s really important to find that balance, but I think once you establish a routine or you can fit in, it’s even better, I think once you find those little pockets to put work into cricket and your studies, I think you can cope, but it’s , certainly not easy.
Q: Who are your role models?
Anika: I think it will happen now in the women’s cricket game Laura Volwardt I just think his batting is such an amazing energy, the energy he brings to the field is absolutely amazing and it’s something I want to continue to learn every time I see him.
It would be someone else Sindhu Sriharsha. I mean, women’s cricket wouldn’t be the same without her in the Associate Nations in California, USA, and I think the kind of Legacy she has, you can talk about it all you want, but that would be it. it never matches the amount of effort and consistency and passion that she puts into the game, but it adds to it, and I think it’s not just for herself, and she’s one of the most selfless people I know because she’s not just doing it for herself, but for the entire girls community she does and I know she has inspired thousands and thousands of girls, including me, she has been my biggest inspiration.
Also READ: Exclusive Interview with USA captain Sindhu Sriharsha: Cricketing idol, Vision for Team USA and Message for Aspiring cricketers
Q: How do you manage the dual responsibility of both gatekeeper and mortician?
Anika: I think it’s an absolutely amazing feeling to have that responsibility in the first place. One thing I think is that when I’m not hitting or whatever, staying in is something I can always go to and it allows me to feel in my zone and it makes me feel in control and in charge. both a batter and a keeper I think it keeps me up but I think more that it helps me to be more involved in the game, more involved in seeing all sides and when you’re behind there’s a lot to learn. seeing how the hitter plays, but also how the pitch reacts to the situation, there’s a lot to learn there, and seeing what I can do as a batter to manipulate the pitch and things like that, I think the responsibility is absolutely amazing. . It’s one of the best feelings.
Q: How did it feel to lead the USA U19 team?
Anika: I’m looking at captaining the West Indies under-19 team in Trinidad, what can you say about that, to hear that phone call and to know that I’ve been appointed to this position was just the most humbling and I’m just so grateful, I’ll hold it very close to my heart and I think it’s just been an amazing tour and I’m really happy to be on Team USA because I think that’s how our team camaraderie works for us like a second family with each other and I think that’s why with these girls on and off the court it’s been amazing to work with and we’re like family to each other so I think it’s just been a lot of learning curve. proceedings, but yeah, we tied that series two to two, rained out instead of three five-game series, but yeah, it was an unblemished honor that I hold very close to my heart.
Q: What has been the most memorable moment in your career so far?
Anika: I think my ODI debut is coming PNG which we did earlier this year in April in Dubai. I think this has to be one of my most memorable experiences because it’s not just because I debuted, but officially our whole team debuted together, so I think we all make that big leap debuting together. the hand that conquered the new series, the new format and just entered the series came together as a team. I think knowing that we all support each other, I have the support of my team and the support staff and everybody who has that kind of support and I feel like that’s very special to me and that’s what makes this team so special is that it’s very memorable for me. will be
Q: What are your five favorite cricketers?
Anika: I think Laura Wolvaardt, Alyssa Healy, Quinton de Kock, Virat Kohli and then Smriti Mandhan.
Watch the full interview:
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This article was originally published here WomenCricket.coma Cricket Times company.
