The unflinching southpaw

Representing the national cricket team at the age of 16 and being awarded the player of the series is nothing short of a dream. For Thirushkamini, it was just the beginning. The 26-year-old, now holds several records — the highest score as an opener in Test matches, first Indian woman to score a century in the World Cup, the only Indian woman cricketer to get three BCCI awards, and more.

In a candid conversation, the left-handed batswoman speaks about her career so far, and the challenges faced by young girls who wish to pursue cricket as a profession.

Reliving the moment when she made her debut at 16, she replies, “At that time, more than feeling the responsibility, I was excited. It felt like a great honour to play with senior and seasoned cricketers. And, it was immensely satisfying to win the ‘player of the series’ in my first ever series.”

Sharing with us what her best attributes as a cricketer are, she says, “I think adaptability is my best attribute. I can seamlessly switch between all three formats of the game.”

As the discussion moves towards challenges faced by young Indian women aspirants, she states that the major problem lies at the grassroot level.

“If a young girl wants to take up cricket as her profession, the biggest difficulty would be finding the right opportunity. I feel that the right facilities should be given to them. Apart from this, the society needs to change. In my case, my dad wanted me to become a cricketer, but people around us discouraged us saying I should focus on education and getting married!” the batting sensation asserts, Nevertheless, the southpaw is upbeat about the future of Indian cricket, especially with BCCI’s efforts — “At the international level, BCCI has been doing a lot of good work. The contract system, which has been introduced for women, is a good initiative. Also, the infrastructure provided for us has also been very good.”

Speaking about her favourite cricketers when it comes to men’s cricket, Thirushkamini says, “Like everyone, I like Sachin Tendulkar. If you ask who my inspiration is, it is Adam Gilchrist as he is also a left hander. I learnt a lot by watching him play. Of late, I have become a fan of Mahendra Singh Dhoni too.”

The cricketer hopes to start an initiative that would enable cricket to reach the interior parts of her home state of Tamil Nadu in the future.

“I’ve always felt that there are lots of talented cricketers in other districts of TN. But, they don’t get the right platform to showcase their talents. In the future, I would like to do something to provide opportunities for undiscovered talents,” she says, on a concluding note.