Long before Vaishnavi Sharma ever picked up a cricket ball, her future had already been charted, at least according to her astrologer father, Narendra Sharma. The 20-year-old left-arm spinner from Gwalior made her India debut in T20 Internationals last year during a home series against Sri Lanka, marking the arrival of a talent years in the making.
‘My father saw sports in my horoscope,’ confessed Vaishnavi Sharma
“When I was four years old, my journey in sports began,” Vaishnavi told PTI Videos. “As you all know, my father is an astrologer. He looked at my horoscope and said I should either go into sports or the medical field.”
What followed was a gradual but decisive tilt towards cricket. “After that, it was about where my interest was. Slowly, he understood that I was inclined towards sports. By the time I was seven, I started taking cricket seriously and began going for evening practice sessions,” she recalled.
Vaishnavi’s first major breakthrough came at the age of 11 or 12, when she played her maiden Under-16 match for Madhya Pradesh, at a time when the tournament wasn’t yet under the BCCI umbrella.
“That’s where my journey really began,” Vaishnavi Sharma said.
Her rise accelerated rapidly. In the five-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, Vaishnavi finished as India’s joint-highest wicket-taker with five scalps, underlining her impact at the international level. For her, the goal had always been clear.
“When I started cricket, this was my only aim. I never thought of anything else. Whenever I go to the ground, I forget everything. The feeling I get from playing cricket, I don’t get it from anything else,” she said.
“I can’t sit idle at home. Even if I’m doing my favourite things, when cricket is there, nothing else matters.”
However, the journey hasn’t been without setbacks. Vaishnavi admitted she was disappointed after going unsold at the Women’s Premier League auction, a moment that came just before her Sri Lanka call-up.
“Of course, it feels bad when you have expectations. I had them too,” she admitted. “But I was playing an Under-23 tournament at the time, and that was a big stage for me. So I kept my focus only on my team.”
Instead of letting the disappointment seep onto the field, Vaishnavi channelled her energy into domestic cricket. “I was sad in my room. I spoke to my family, my friends, my parents, my brother, and seniors, they all called me,” she said. “But I never showed that disappointment on the ground. I focused on what was in my hands.”
Her perseverance soon paid off. Weeks later, Vaishnavi received her maiden India call-up, an emotional milestone she will never forget.
“I was very nervous. I kept thinking, 'What will they say? How will I talk to them?' But everyone welcomed me so warmly and made me feel comfortable. I bonded really well with them,” she said.
Despite now sharing the dressing room, Vaishnavi admits she still feels starstruck around captain Harmanpreet Kaur.
“I’ll always have butterflies when I meet Harman di,” she smiled. “I used to watch them on TV, and now I’m playing with them. That excitement will always be there.”
Harmanpreet’s fighting spirit and Smriti Mandhana’s mindset have left a lasting impression on her.
“Smriti di and Harman di are my role models. Smriti di once said that even after a good contribution, she starts fresh the next day. From Harman di, I’ve learnt the never-give-up attitude,” Vaishnavi said.
She also cherishes the trust shown by her captain on the field.
“When she gives me the ball, she says, ‘Bowl freely, bowl your best and make the batter dance.’ The whole team is very sweet.”
In terms of bowling inspiration, Vaishnavi looks up to Ravindra Jadeja and Radha Yadav, admiring their accuracy, control, and consistency.
Also Read: WATCH: Rohit Sharma’s viral smile says it all after Jay Shah’s captaincy comment
(By PTI Inputs)
