On February 2, 2025, a 15-year-old girl from Maharashtra became world champion when India defended the Women’s U-19 T20 World Cup title in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, defeating South Africa by nine wickets. She is none other than Ishwari Awasare, who also won the Jagmohan Dalmiya Trophy for ‘Best Woman Cricketer’ in the junior domestic category at the recent BCCI Awards ceremony.
In the recent World Cup, Ishwari was in the playing XI for the last four games, including the final, but did not get many opportunities to showcase her talent. She was the highest run-scorer in the Cooch Behar Trophy with 734 runs and also the highest run-scorer in the Women’s U19 One Day Trophy, amassing 481 runs from eight innings at an average of 80.17 and a strike rate of 92.50. She struck two fifties and two centuries. G Kamalini, who was one of the stars for India in the World Cup campaign, finished in second place with 393 runs.
In the Women’s U19 T20 Trophy, Ishwari again scored the most runs (327 in eight innings, while averaging 46.71 at a strike rate of 113.93), including two fifties and one century. She even captained the side in that tournament and led the team to the semi-finals. Ishwari is known to idolise Smriti Mandhana and Virat Kohli.
RevSportz had the exclusive opportunity to chat with her coach, Sunil Divekar, who runs the Divekar Cricket Academy in Maharashtra. During the conversation, he shared insights about her journey, advice from the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, her ultimate goals going forward, and much more.
Q: What was your first reaction upon seeing her win the World Cup and being named the best Junior Women’s cricketer?
It was truly a dream come true. I have been involved in cricket since childhood and still play for the company where I work. I have been in coaching for the last 28 years, working with both men and women. Over the years, I have come across several top talents like Ishwari and Ruturaj Gaikwad.
When Ishwari came to me, she was just seven years old. Her brother played cricket under my guidance for five years. She used to come to the academy to drop him off, and that’s when I noticed a spark in her. I spoke to her father, Moreshwar Rao Awasare, and told him that his daughter had the potential to become a full-fledged cricketer. However, her mother was initially reluctant, worried about injuries and other challenges.
To address their concerns, I invited both parents to the academy for a discussion. I assured them that Ishwari had the talent to develop into a strong cricketer within the next two to three years. Eventually, they agreed and have supported her journey ever since.
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Q: Can you elaborate on the backstory—how you got her into matches and how you prepared her at such a young age?
Yes, for the next two years, we focused on the basics, working on the front-foot and back-foot techniques. Then, I set up a 20-over practice match for her. When I asked the 9-year-old how many runs she thought she would score, she replied that she did not know. I told her that it was not about scoring runs but about playing all 20 overs. She did just that—she stayed at the crease for the full 20 overs, never got out, and scored only three runs.
For me, staying at the crease has always been the main priority. I firmly believe that if you stay there, the runs will come automatically. This is the approach I take with all my players. I do not allow any of my kids to play cross-batted shots. Look at Sachin Tendulkar—he was the highest run-scorer in the 2010 IPL, playing with a straight bat (618 runs in 15 innings). He did not need to play fancy ramp shots. My advice has always been to play with a straight bat if you have the ability, score runs by playing in front of you, and avoid losing your wicket by attempting risky cross-batted shots.
Q: Can you share the story of Sachin Tendulkar’s advice to Ishwari during a camp?
The practice match I mentioned took place in 2018. After that, Sachin Tendulkar’s Middlesex Global Academy held a camp at Bishop School in Pune. The fee for two days of the camp was 17,000 rupees, so I sent Ishwari to attend. There were around 300-400 boys, along with 4-5 girls, including her. Sachin, Kedar Jadhav, and Vinod Kambli were also present.
After watching her bat for just five minutes, Sachin approached her and asked about her cricketing journey, when she started learning, and so on. Then, Sachin gave her a valuable piece of advice: “Do not change your batting stance at all. If anyone tells you to change it going forward, take my name and say that Sachin sir has advised me not to change my batting stance.”
Q: How lovely! So, that advice has proven to be right, as we can all see now, right?
Yes, absolutely. In 2021, there was a senior women’s tournament in Aurangabad. Ishwari scored 270* off 170 balls, just three years after receiving that advice in 2018. She hit around fifty-plus fours and three or four sixes. After that, BCCI asked her to submit her name for the Women’s Premier League (WPL).
However, she was not yet 18 years old and had not played for the senior Maharashtra team, so it was not possible for her to get a chance at that time. We are still waiting for that opportunity, knowing that there is still a lot to achieve, especially since she is only 15 years old.
Now, she is already a crucial part of the Maharashtra team and has played in the under-15, under-19, and under-23 categories. For the past year, she has been away from her hometown completely due to the intense cricket schedule. She was also part of India’s U19 Asia Cup triumph.
Q: Yes, despite being named in the playing XI, she had limited opportunities to showcase her potential in that Asia Cup.
First of all, the opposition teams failed to score big, so it was not only her, but also other batters in the middle order, that failed to get enough chances. Secondly, she is now the junior in the team. With seniors being present, and as she has played as an opening batter for the last eight years, it was always tough.
However, the best part is that she still managed to secure a place in the playing XI. I am confident that in the next U19 World Cup, she will play a crucial role for the team if she is there.
Q: Do you think being with the team and gaining this experience is going to help her a lot going forward?
Definitely. The best part about Ishwari is that she is very down to earth, and that is something I have always told her. No matter what you achieve or how big a player you become, always show respect to others in order to gain respect.
You do not need to boast about your good deeds; they will automatically reach people. Not only in batting, but she also knows leg-spin and wicket-keeping. However, for now, the main focus is on her batting.
Q: Obviously, playing for the India senior team is the ultimate goal. What advice or message do you give her?
Yes, playing for the senior team is the ultimate goal—to see her represent India for a long time. So, I always tell her to stay consistent, engage with good players, and prioritise her fitness. These are the key messages we often discuss.
It was also my dream to play at higher levels, but for some reason, I could not. Then, I had this dream of helping children live that dream, which is why I am so happy for Ishwari. I predicted that when she turned 18, she would play for India. Now, at just 16 years old, she has already played for India and won the World Cup.
Recently, she secured a sponsorship with the SS company. Today, she is returning from Malaysia, and we are planning to arrange a rally to celebrate her success, starting from our ground and going all the way to her house. A function will be organised in the academy to acknowledge her achievement.
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