Gwalior’s Vaishnavi Sharma made headlines with her historic spell versus Malaysia in the ongoing Women’s U19 T20 World Cup, which included a hat-trick. After missing out on the tournament opener against West Indies, she replaced Sonam Yadav in the playing XI for the second game and delivered a stunning performance on her debut.
In Gwalior, Vaishnavi trains under coach Lovekesh Chaudhary at the Tansen Cricket Academy. Ahead of today’s clash against Sri Lanka, Coach Lovekesh spoke exclusively to RevSportz, sharing his thoughts on witnessing history, Vaishnavi’s strengths, and her journey.
Q: How did it feel to see Vaishnavi take those five wickets, including the hat-trick?
It was a proud moment for me, for Gwalior, for Madhya Pradesh, and most importantly, for India, that Vaishnavi delivered such a historic performance in her debut game. As a coach, it was truly a moment to cherish.
Q: During the post-match presentation, she mentioned that her plan was to focus on bowling a stump-to-stump line. Has that always been one of her strengths?
Bowling wicket-to-wicket has always been her core strength, whether she plays local, domestic, or international matches. Along with that, her ability to use variations effectively has been a key factor in getting wickets.
This skill-set helped her take many wickets in the domestic circuit last year and win the Jagmohan Dalmiya Trophy for the Best Woman Cricketer in the Junior Domestic season of 2022-23.
Q: Do you think Vaishnavi’s recent domestic performances played a significant role in her selection for the World Cup?
She has already represented U-19 India A and, of course, Madhya Pradesh in the recent Senior Women’s One Day Trophy. The best part is that she performed consistently, which played a key role in earning her this call-up.
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Q: Can you share the moment when you found out that Vaishnavi was selected for the World Cup?
When we found out that she had been selected for the U-19 T20 World Cup, the entire city was celebrating with firecrackers. She received a grand reception, and everyone was thrilled that she had earned the opportunity to represent India on such a big stage. Born in Gwalior, she is the first cricketer from the Chambal region to achieve such a remarkable feat.
Q: Did it disappoint you to not see her play in the opening game of the tournament?
As a coach, yes, I felt she should have played in that game. However, it is ultimately the decision of the team management, and they chose the playing XI that they believed was the best.
Q: Can you tell us about her preparations at the academy?
Whenever Vaishnavi comes to Gwalior, she practices for 5-6 hours per day at the academy—three hours in the morning and another three in the evening. Mr. Vinay Kushwah usually trains her during the morning sessions.
The morning sessions focus is on workouts, fitness, and fielding, while the evening sessions are dedicated to batting and bowling practice.
Q: What is your prediction for her and the entire team’s performance as the tournament progresses?
India has been phenomenal so far. All four left-arm spinners—Aayushi Shukla, Parunika Sisodia, Sonam Yadav, and Vaishnavi—are exceptional. On the turning tracks of Malaysia, it was always going to benefit them. As a unit, India performed brilliantly in the first two games.
Now, in today’s match, all eyes will be on how they perform against Sri Lanka, as that will determine their challenges moving forward in the tournament. So, my best wishes go to the entire team. Play hard, win the trophy once again, and, of course, keep the Indian flag flying high!
Also Read: Vaishnavi’s historic hat-Trick powers India to dominant victory in Women’s U19 T20 World Cup