Cricket: With luck and perseverance, Yashasri returns home with a World Cup medal

Express News Service

CHENNAI:  When the India U19 squad for the World Cup was announced in early December 2022, Yashasri Soppadhandhi was upset. She had not made it to the final 15 for the marquee event. Although she had consciously tried not to have expectations, it was a goal she had worked hard on every single day for over the past 14 months. But, there was a silver lining. She was in the squad for the bilaterals against hosts South Africa and was named as a standby for the World Cup.

Cut to January 29 at Potchefstroom, Yashasri was among the names the presenter called out as the Indian team collected their World Cup medallions. How? As luck would have it, an unfortunate injury to Mumbai all-rounder Hurley Gala meant Yashasri was drafted into the squad and had become a world champion.

“She was down (when was not selected), but at least she was going to South Africa so was consoled. Then poor Hurley got injured. Yashasri got lucky and they have made history winning the World Cup,” said S Venugopal, who is an ex-serviceman now working as a clerk in Canara Bank.

For Yashasri, cricket was an accident. When she was studying at the Indus International School in Hyderabad, she was into all the other sports like Coco, swimming, and basketball, but not cricket. One day in 2016 when they needed a player for the school cricket team, they called her as she was tall and asked her to bowl. Instantly, she was inspired by the sport, especially by one player — Pooja Vanka.

As someone who had no clue about the sport or any of the rules of cricket, watching Pooja smash the bowlers across the ground in inter-school matches was inspiring. And she wanted to become a better player than Pooja, with whom would go on and become best friends. Once she got it in her head that cricket is her sport, there was no going back.

Even at a very young age, Yashasri’s thirst for knowledge is what helped her get better at cricket. She used to watch matches not because of the players or teams, but to learn from what a player does in a certain situation. She was initially training at Bhavan’s Cricket Academy in Secunderabad under MV Rao before moving to Iqbal Cricket Academy a couple of years later. Yashasri was aware that she was not having any social life growing up, but she wasn’t worried about it.

For her, cricket was everything. It has given her all the friends and good people she has in her life. That her parents encouraged her to do whatever she wanted meant she had no pressure to compete with anyone else but herself. And as she and G Trisha moved up the ranks rapidly in Hyderabad cricket, they started making a name for themselves.

Off the field, Venugopal took care of everything she needed to excel at cricket. Having worked in Indian Air Force before taking VRS and joining the bank as a clerk, it was not an easy road for him financially. And as someone who has played divisional cricket, he knows the struggles that come with cricket. But he had help. “Once I retired, I had to get a flat. I had to pay for the school to ensure a good education for my children. In that way, for cricket, Iqbal sir, and Kanishk, who runs a gym and trains her, all charged me very less in comparison to others.

Vidyut Jaismiha at the HCA, they all helped with the cricket. Of course, GV Rami Reddy (Trisha’s father) is always there. We are really good friends. Wherever our kids play, we always go around the country to watch them play. Same with Roshini Kiran’s father, Soumya Tiwari’s father, and Hurley Gala’s dad too. We all became friends when we went to see our daughters play. To see our kids play cricket, we all feel proud,” said Venugopal.

On the field, Yashasri had her share of struggles. After a poor run in the 2021-22 U19 one-dayers, the fast bowling all-rounder was not picked for the Challengers and it hit her hard. She came home to her mother K Vidya and cried a lot. While she was smiling on the outside and taking out her frustration at the gym and practice sessions, it was the time that made her realise how much it meant to her. It made her more focused and determined toward her goal — the U19 World Cup.

A good senior tournament followed and then she was called for the zonal and then the NCA camps. “For me, the biggest inspiration was Ben Stokes. The way he came back after giving away the World Cup in the final, it inspired me a lot. That is when I realised ups and downs everyone will have, how you comeback is all that matters,” Yashsri had told The New Indian Express earlier.

And she did make a comeback and played for India U19 in the bilaterals against South Africa before the World Cup. She took four wickets for 38 runs in the two T20s, but in the World Cup, she got to play in only one match. With the pitches assisting the spinners, India went in with just one pacer in most matches including the final.

While she might not have played a lot, Yashasri will be coming home with a World Cup medallion. And for both the daughter and the father, it is a dream come true. “I wanted her to represent India and win the World Cup medal. It was my dream. She has completed my dream, in fact, surpassed it. To be able to be selected for the country with so much competition is no mean feat. She had a bit of luck, but she persevered every step of the way to reach where she is now,” signed off Venugopal.

<br /> CHENNAI:  When the India U19 squad for the World Cup was announced in early December 2022, Yashasri Soppadhandhi was upset. She had not made it to the final 15 for the marquee event. Although she had consciously tried not to have expectations, it was a goal she had worked hard on every single day for over the past 14 months. But, there was a silver lining. She was in the squad for the bilaterals against hosts South Africa and was named as a standby for the World Cup.</p> <p>Cut to January 29 at Potchefstroom, Yashasri was among the names the presenter called out as the Indian team collected their World Cup medallions. How? As luck would have it, an unfortunate injury to Mumbai all-rounder Hurley Gala meant Yashasri was drafted into the squad and had become a world champion.</p> <p>“She was down (when was not selected), but at least she was going to South Africa so was consoled. Then poor Hurley got injured. Yashasri got lucky and they have made history winning the World Cup,” said S Venugopal, who is an ex-serviceman now working as a clerk in Canara Bank.</p> <p> Yashasri with her father VenugopalFor Yashasri, cricket was an accident. When she was studying at the Indus International School in Hyderabad, she was into all the other sports like Coco, swimming, and basketball, but not cricket. One day in 2016 when they needed a player for the school cricket team, they called her as she was tall and asked her to bowl. Instantly, she was inspired by the sport, especially by one player — Pooja Vanka.</p> <p>As someone who had no clue about the sport or any of the rules of cricket, watching Pooja smash the bowlers across the ground in inter-school matches was inspiring. And she wanted to become a better player than Pooja, with whom would go on and become best friends. Once she got it in her head that cricket is her sport, there was no going back.</p> <p>Even at a very young age, Yashasri’s thirst for knowledge is what helped her get better at cricket. She used to watch matches not because of the players or teams, but to learn from what a player does in a certain situation. She was initially training at Bhavan’s Cricket Academy in Secunderabad under MV Rao before moving to Iqbal Cricket Academy a couple of years later. Yashasri was aware that she was not having any social life growing up, but she wasn’t worried about it.</p> <p>For her, cricket was everything. It has given her all the friends and good people she has in her life. That her parents encouraged her to do whatever she wanted meant she had no pressure to compete with anyone else but herself. And as she and G Trisha moved up the ranks rapidly in Hyderabad cricket, they started making a name for themselves.</p> <p>Off the field, Venugopal took care of everything she needed to excel at cricket. Having worked in Indian Air Force before taking VRS and joining the bank as a clerk, it was not an easy road for him financially. And as someone who has played divisional cricket, he knows the struggles that come with cricket. But he had help. “Once I retired, I had to get a flat. I had to pay for the school to ensure a good education for my children. In that way, for cricket, Iqbal sir, and Kanishk, who runs a gym and trains her, all charged me very less in comparison to others.</p> <p>Vidyut Jaismiha at the HCA, they all helped with the cricket. Of course, GV Rami Reddy (Trisha’s father) is always there. We are really good friends. Wherever our kids play, we always go around the country to watch them play. Same with Roshini Kiran’s father, Soumya Tiwari’s father, and Hurley Gala’s dad too. We all became friends when we went to see our daughters play. To see our kids play cricket, we all feel proud,” said Venugopal.</p> <p>On the field, Yashasri had her share of struggles. After a poor run in the 2021-22 U19 one-dayers, the fast bowling all-rounder was not picked for the Challengers and it hit her hard. She came home to her mother K Vidya and cried a lot. While she was smiling on the outside and taking out her frustration at the gym and practice sessions, it was the time that made her realise how much it meant to her. It made her more focused and determined toward her goal — the U19 World Cup.</p> <p>A good senior tournament followed and then she was called for the zonal and then the NCA camps. “For me, the biggest inspiration was Ben Stokes. The way he came back after giving away the World Cup in the final, it inspired me a lot. That is when I realised ups and downs everyone will have, how you comeback is all that matters,” Yashsri had told The New Indian Express earlier.</p> <p>And she did make a comeback and played for India U19 in the bilaterals against South Africa before the World Cup. She took four wickets for 38 runs in the two T20s, but in the World Cup, she got to play in only one match. With the pitches assisting the spinners, India went in with just one pacer in most matches including the final.</p> <p>While she might not have played a lot, Yashasri will be coming home with a World Cup medallion. And for both the daughter and the father, it is a dream come true. “I wanted her to represent India and win the World Cup medal. It was my dream. She has completed my dream, in fact, surpassed it. To be able to be selected for the country with so much competition is no mean feat. She had a bit of luck, but she persevered every step of the way to reach where she is now,” signed off Venugopal.<br />