Bhadrachalam/ Vishakhapatnam: Two teenage girls from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have defied all odds to make it to the under-19 women's national cricket team. Gongadi Trisha and Shabnam have fulfilled the dreams of their parents by being recently selected for the national team. In an exclusive conversation with ETV Bharat, the two girls shared their early childhood struggle and their passion for cricket.
Trisha, a right handed batter and a leg spinner who hails from Bhadrachalam in Telangana credited her father Ramireddy, who has been a national hockey player who did not let his own struggles come in way of her passion for cricket. Trisha said her father had to face questions like why I being a girl should opt for sports as a career. But believing in my ability, he didn't care,” Trisha said while also acknowledging her mother Madhavai's support.
Trisha said her father could not pursue his passion of hockey due to lack of opportunities and worked as a fitness consultant in ITC. “His mind is always on games. That's why he wanted to see me as a champion. I grew up with the bat and the ball from a young age. Gradually my love for the game is increasing. I think that's why I can play well,” she said.
Trisha said they moved to Hyderbad for a better training for which her father quit his job. “I play with the determination to give meaning to the sacrifice of my parents,” she said. Trisha is currently practicing under the supervision of R. Sridhar in 'Coaching Beyond Academy'. She starts her daily practice with her father at 6 am and trains at least 7-8 hours daily.
“You have to be fit to hit big shots. I used to hit the ball 50 yards, but now I can hit sixes up to 75 yards. Trisha has played under 16 for the state at the age of 8 and under 19 at the age of 12. She was selected for HCA senior team and also won the BCCI "Best Cricketer". She also participated in the Challengers tournament for 13 years.
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“I was the highest run-scorer in the U-19 Challenger tournament last year like Dhoni and Mithaliraj,” Trisha said. Trisha who is in her 2nd year inter at Bhavans Junior College (Sainikpuri) loves to swim and draw in spare time.
Shabnum, daughter of Mohammed Shakeel hailing from Visakhapatnam too idolizes her father, a naval officer and also a cricketer. “I first played as a batter while my father, a fast bowler, inspired me to become a pacer. It was fun to bowl the batters at a good pace and make the stumps fly. So I started focusing on fast bowling,” Shabnum said. Last year she made her debut for AP in Under-19 and also played in the Challengers tournament. Shabnum said her aim is to play in the Under-19 World Cup next year
Shabnum's mother Eswaramma also works in the Navy while her sister Shahjahan Begum is also a cricketer. “Many didn't support my father but he always replied that girls are no less than boys in anything. We decided to prove ourselves and not betray his trust. With that spirit, we are working one hundred percent,” she said.
Like Trisha, Shabnum also gets up early in the morning for her training. Shabnum practises at Coastal Academy in the morning and VDC in the evening. “To pursue a career as a pacer, fitness must be at its best for which I am taking special training. Now I can bowl consistently at a speed of 112 kilometers per hour. I am also paying attention to my studies,” Shabnum who is studying 10th standard in Shiva Shivani school said.
“My goal is to be the best fast bowler in Indian women's cricket and I will continue to work hard for it,” she said. Legendary pacer Jhulan Goswami is Shabnum's role model while she also loved Bumrah and Australian former pacer Brett Lee's bowling as well. Trisha and Shabnum said they got a chance in the Indian Under-19 team after playing well in India A, B against Sri Lanka, and the West Indies series.
“Now our focus is on showing strength in the New Zealand series as well. We believe that we will do well there. This is our first step towards the goal of playing for the senior team,” they said.
