WPL: Kashvee revives pace dream with Gujarat Giants

LUCKNOW: From playing gully cricket on the streets of Chandigarh to now bowling for Gujarat Giants in the Women’s Premier League (WPL), young pacer Kashvee Gautam is striding towards her dream to represent the country. She finds the WPL an opportunity for cricketers like her to dream big.

The 21-year-old is working hard on her speed and accuracy and doesn’t mind being hit as bowlers do go for runs in white-ball cricket. “I enjoy bowling with speed and accuracy, and am happy that I am contributing to the team’s success,” Gautam said on Wednesday.

She said getting into the Indian team for the ODI World Cup in India later this year wasn’t her target now. Instead, she was focusing on her performance and her side’s victory in WPL. “I am not thinking too far ahead. I am living match by match. I’ve to play my next match against Delhi Capitals and then against Mumbai Indians,” she said.

“I have to do well in the next game. I have plans for batters in each match. If I do well, I will get a chance somewhere… I want to do well in all the tournaments I participate.”

Gautam has taken nine wickets in six matches in this WPL, including a 3/11 against UP Warriorz here. She has adopted Shubman Gill’s celebratory bow. “I like it (celebration). I like Shubman Gill’s batting style. He too is from Chandigarh.”

Gautam missed the last WPL season due to a foot injury and is enjoying her maiden stint with Gujarat Giants, who are second in the points table.

“My season is going very well. The preparations that I have done in the off-season are coming in handy. Last year, when I didn’t play, I sat and observed. When I used to go to practice sessions, I saw what I was missing and what I could add. When I got fit, I discussed them with my coach. He gave me some points, that I could add variations,” she said.

On staying away from cricket for six months before this WPL season due to injury, Gautam said: “It was very difficult, but it is important to go through that phase. I learned a lot about mental health, worked on it. When I was away from cricket, I used to meet friends. When I couldn’t, I started having mental health issues. I felt lonely. I didn’t like staying at home. I have a wellness coach with whom I am working now.

“My coach (Nagesh) helped me a lot in this period… He even advised me to look at some matches so that I could learn something from them. When I started rehab, I felt I was getting back on track,” Gautam, who played for India A in the Emerging Asia Cup, said.

“Everyone is bringing the same kind of intent to their game. I think it happened because of WPL. Many players made their India debut because of WPL. There is a lot of hope there. If you perform in WPL in front of elite athletes, you get the chance to play for India.”

Gautam said pace bowling was her first love. “I was interested in bowling from the start. There was a boy in our locality who was very good at bowling quick. So, I asked him to teach me. He used to tell me to make long runs. From there, I got interested in pace bowling.”