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Pune’s wonder girl cover drives past lockdown to win cricketing hearts
Gurav is using her vacation time by practicing at home and practicing inside a wedding hall. Before the lockdown, she travelled for 65 kilometres on the weekend to play in Pune
For Pune’s six and a half-year-old Swara Gurav, the Covid-19 pandemic cannot be a reason to stop cricket practice - the game that she deeply loves. Gurav is using her vacation time by practicing at home and practicing inside a wedding hall. Before the lockdown, she travelled for 65 kilometres on the weekend to play in Pune.
“I love to come to Pune and play cricket. Monday is my off day while other days I am practising for one-and –a-half hours. Since there are holidays, I practice in the morning and evening. My favourite player is MS Dhoni,” Swara Gurav said.
Gurav is too young to play professionally, but her footwork and stance have already impressed international players and coaches. A video on Twitter featuring Gurav brought praise from Mike Hesson, Royal Challengers Bangalore coach, former India captain Mithali Raj and Jemimah Rodrigues.
India A cricketer Tejal Hasabnis who is currently enjoying lockdown at her home said, “Special kid, very skillful, I just wish while growing up she will enjoy what she is doing right now and we shouldn’t be surprised if we see her taking this sport professionally.”
Ambade village doesn’t have a ground to practice, but Gurav’s father Sachin Gurav, who is a priest at a temple there, is making all the arrangements for her.
“Since the age of three, Swara had very good catching skills. I used to throw a plastic ball at her and she used to catch it. From that point, this journey began,” said Sachin Gurav, who used to play for his village team.
Sachin’s financial condition never allowed him to make progress in sports, but for her daughter, he already has a plan ready.
“At the age of four-and-a-half she used to play with a tennis ball. I started to take her to Bhor to train under Vishwajeet Tarv who runs a small academy with 35 players at the Jijau Mata school ground in Bhor,” Sachin added.
Gurav started to groom under Tarv, where she learned the basics of the cricket game.
“Right from her initial days, Swara was a quick learner, whatever is told to her she used to grasp it quickly,” Tarv said.
Along with this, Gurav’s father began giving her practice at a wedding hall.
“I have installed nets at the wedding hall where I only bowl at her. I keep taking guidance from her coaches Tarv sir and Ganesh Gaikwad sir from Azam Campus,” added Sachin.
Training in Pune
Since the last six months, every weekend Gurav is training at the Azam Campus, Camp, under Ganesh Gaikwad, head coach at Azam Campus.
“I started training her with hanging balls drills and all the basic drills. Her ball sense is one thing which is the most impressive when to come on the front foot and when to go on back foot she knows it perfectly,” explains Gaikwad.
“I must say she is a natural talent, gradually we have started throwing down leather balls at her and she has all the potential to become a good cricketer” added Gaikwad.
It is just the beginning for his daughter and Sachin Gurav knows a lot more hard work and dedication will make his daughter a player for the future.
“Swara still has two years to focus on basics. I hope she can practice with the leather ball regularly,” added Sachin Gurav.
