Spinner Rashi Kanojiya the latest from Agra’s cricket nurseries to India squad

The 25-year-old has been named in the women’s squad that will tour Bangladesh this month to play three ODIs and T20Is

Young left-arm spinner Rashi Kanojiya of Agra had no shortage of inspiring figures when she began playing cricket aged eight at the Eklavya Stadium. Today, she is the new face in the Indian women’s cricket squad for the upcoming tour of Bangladesh.

Image used for representational purpose (Getty Images)

Those she looked up to include Hemlata Kala, the first from the city of Taj Mahal to play for India, Priti Dimri, a slow left-arm spinner who played 26 international matches, including two Tests, leg-spinner Poonam Yadav, and current India all-rounder Deepti Sharma.

With 1,500-plus runs and 13 wickets in 86 internationals, Kala’s success at domestic and international levels has inspired other girls from the city to chase their cricketing dreams.

“Winning against boys was great and that too for a packet of biscuits. Later, cricket not only gave me name and fame, but also helped me get a job and a life,” recalls Kala, now the chief selector of the Uttar Pradesh women’s team. “Now, girls have a different kind of passion for cricket here in Agra.”

Kanojiya, 25, comes from a middle-class family. Her mother is a teacher and father a retired army official. “She could have played for India in 2019, but the pandemic hit her hopes. Her determination to do well kept her going and she came up with a stunning performance in the domestic circuit last season,” Kala’s coach and mentor Manoj Kushwaha said on Monday.

Besides doing well in the inaugural Women’s Premier League, Kanojiya took eight wickets in the Senior Women’s One-day Trophy, six wickets in the T20 Trophy, 10 wickets at the Senior Women’s Inter-zonal T20 and three wickets in the T20 Challenger Trophy.

“She knows her job. The arm ball is her (main) weapon,” said Kushwaha. “She started her career as a left-arm pacer at the Eklavya Stadium, but she came to my Manya Cricket Academy and started bowling spin. Now she is one of the successful bowlers in the country.”

Before Kanojiya, his trainees Deepti Sharma and Poonam Yadav were part of the Indian squad, even playing in World Cups. “About 10-15 women cricketers from neighbouring districts are training at my academy. They are inspired by the progress of Agra cricketers at international level,” he said.

Women’s cricket is gaining popularity in Agra with around 200 trainees across different grounds in the city. Hemlata Kala and Poonam Yadav are mentors at Kushwaha’s academy.

Besides Kanojiya, all-rounder Deepti Sharma and pacer Meghana Singh, who is from Amroha, are the Uttar Pradesh players in the squad which will play three ODIs and T20Is each against Bangladesh between July 9 and 22 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.