in an exclusive conversation with USA Women’s cricket captain Sindhu Sriharshawe dive deep into his remarkable journey from his early days in Bengaluru to leading the US national team. Sindhu talks about how cricket has always been a part of her identity, even after moving to a new country. At first he picked up the bat just for fun, but soon found himself rekindling his passion for the game.
Sindhu also shares her admiration for her cricketer idol, whose discipline and work ethic left a lasting impression on her. Having grown up watching him at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, he aspired to bat like him with a defense that mirrored his toughness.
As captain of the U.S. women’s team, Sindhu has been at the forefront of its growth, emphasizing the creation of a strong internal track and nurturing young talent, some of whom have already become senior members of the team at just 18 years old. team is clear – to make a mark on the global stage, compete in the semi-finals and finals and earn the respect of teams around the world.
Here are some highlights from the interview:
Q: Can you help us with your cricket journey?
Sriharsha: I think you know when you pick up a bat as a kid and it’s a part of you as you grow up and it’s your identity, it’s never out of your system, so I think I moved as an immigrant after moving to a new country. and the easiest way for me to find a community like a family was always to go back to my roots and then know that I have talent and skills in sports and that I can easily make some relationships, make some friends. community as well as I kind of wanted to make my own life here in a new country and kind of picked up the bat just for fun, I didn’t want to be a professional athlete or a professional cricketer again. Recreate the fun part of the sport that was missing towards the later part of my career in India.
Q: Who did you look up to as your cricket idol growing up?
Sriharsha: I am a Bengaluru girl and definitely looked up to it Rahul Dravid a lot. When it comes to his work ethic and how he prepares himself, I saw him very closely at the Chinnawami Stadium. I knew early on that what he was doing on TV was mostly based on all the work he put in outside of the field he was in, so I knew what it meant to prepare and I knew what that was. was to be a disciplined athlete, I think I learned from the best, so I looked up to him very closely, I definitely followed his career, I kind of wanted to be like him. Like him, I felt my defense was similar to his, so much so that I definitely looked up to him in my early days of cricket.
Q: How do you rate the development of US domestic cricket?
Sriharsha: First of all I want to say that when USA C was founded, it was founded in 2018 or 2019. Nadia Gruni, a female director in particular, has been sitting as a players’ representative on the board for the past 6 years since its constitution, and there have been many positives since then. The inner track was established somewhere in 2021 and since then we have only seen the number of cricketers or age group levels that have definitely grown one of the biggest stages or should I say a very changing period for us Julia had. Price as our coach from 2019 to 2021 or starting from 2021 towards the end of 2022 has made a lot of difference to us as cricketers and I think he and the board will then be able to start the local way and has played an important role ever since. then, as I said, we have grown a lot, and this year, especially, I want to call our Nationals under 15 for the first time. Our two teams competed against each other in the east and west for a very competitive and competitive tournament, so the number of girls in the 13-15 age group increased, and we also entered the Under-19 World Cup. . We’ve qualified for the Under-19 World Cup this year too, so we’ve definitely increased that number over the years today and our senior national team is the average age of the team that traveled to the UAE in May this year. I was 18 and I probably brought that number up, but what I want to focus on is that as a community that we invest in USA Cricket, we try to build the age group level to retain these young people by giving them exposure at the right time. and by exposing them to the right opportunities and eventually they will be able to deliver the results we need in a few years and they will still be in their 20s and 25s and you know they can still give another 10 years. released cricket in them.
I think it was a very intentional kind of thing that we tried to strategically and tactically stay away from, and you know, the exposure of the younger generation, maybe they weren’t ready two years ago when we exposed them, but today they’re some of the older ones. call because the seniors are only 18, they have only played cricket in the past, you know for four or five years, but because we have given them numerous international games and exposure, they are ready today. to face more challenges and they mature more as a cricketer to go out there and at least compete with higher level teams. Results are never guaranteed, and I tell my team that, so just because you put in the word work doesn’t mean you’re going to go out there and get results, but I think the process is the way we do it. ‘I’m looking forward to it. I think it’s been the right process and the right opportunities at the right time, and I think it’s held up very well over the last couple of years.
Also READ: Exclusive interview with Netherlands captain Babette de Leede: Leadership, Legacy, T20 World Cup predictions and the future of Women’s cricket
Q: Who is the most mischievous on the US Women’s team?
Sriharsha: To be honest, I don’t think anyone is kidding because I’ve seen these guys since they were 15 or 16 and they’ve grown into the people they are today, but I mean, it’s a very lively, very loud bunch. In the dugout. There are times when I have to go out and stand outside because I can’t take the music anymore because I can’t relate to the music because they’re rapping that I can’t understand and it’s too loud, I feel like everyone before the Game whatever the results are after the game they take it in the right spirit and everyone is always in the right spirit to try and pick each other up and it’s in the culture and I think everyone supports each other. If I really have to pick one, I think the one who always keeps the spirits of the team high is Geetika Kodali. I think he has been with us since he was 15 years old. She’s 20 now, she’s been in the team for five years, she’s been my vice-captain for a couple of years, Anika has been with colon for a couple of years, under-19, she’s coming up now, she’s getting ready for it, but Geetika is someone we look up to as one of the leaders. in the team, she’s also part of the leadership team, so I think she tries and tries to keep the fun part of that alive within the team, so if I really had to choose, it would be Geetika.
Q: As a captain, what are your thoughts on the USA cricket team?
Sriharsha: I will go back to what I said. I think at the American level, we’ve pretty much dominated the last three terms, the way we’ve taken over since 2019 and competed in America, we’ve definitely dominated that space and I think we’ve created a gap. We’ve at least shown the American region who we are and what kind of talent we have, so once we set the standard in America, I think we want to go out there globally and make a name for ourselves. If anything, a vision for me is that the next time we go to global competitions, in a few years, teams know that we can beat any team that comes up on a given day where they are afraid to face Cricket. our way and definitely to get there and get to the semifinals and finals, first of all, the semifinals is going to be my biggest Vision in the next global competitions.
Q: A tip for growing cricket in ICC affiliated countries?
Sriharsha: Bring in the World Cup League for association level women as it is for men, where Ligue 2 and Ligue 1 compete against each other, and confirm the tables like how the second league is for men.
Q: Want a cheat meal?
Sriharsha: Biryani, Chicken Biryani any day.
Q: Favorite Bollywood movie?
Sriharsha: I have so many but if I had to pick one it would be Dil for Pagal Hai. I could probably watch this a thousand times. It’s something I grew up watching with my mom, and I still make a point of watching it together once a year.
Watch the full interview:
Also READ: All you need to know about Freya Kemp: England’s promising talent at the 2024 T20 Women’s World Cup
This article was originally published here WomenCricket.coma Cricket Times company.
