Kolkata, Feb 2 (Representative) The Indian women’s national team has seen some of the biggest success stories in the world of cricket with players coming up from different parts of the country with only one goal and ambition – to wear the colour blue, represent the country and win the World Cup.One of the stars of the Indian side – Devika Vaidya is a true testament to the pursuit of this goal. Representing Maharashtra in the domestic circuit, Vaidya rose up the ranks to be called into the Indian national team. Devika has her eyes set on bringing the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup back home and making her country proud. Speaking exclusively on Star Sports show ‘Believe in Blue’, the left handed all-rounder of the Indian women’s cricket team Devika Vaidya spoke about her journey to the Indian Team. She said, “I started playing cricket in 2003, but I only played for enjoyment at the time, so I never thought about making it a career. In 2011, I was selected for the 2011–12 U19 Maharashtra Cricket Team, and I eventually realised that I would need to take it seriously, so I started practising cricket on a regular basis. I was in 7th grade at the time, and I knew that if I could continue practising diligently and focus on my game, I could easily reach the India level.” Further Devika spoke about on she has improved as a player, she said, “Actually, I was playing pretty consistently till 2017, but after that, I got a couple of injuries and illnesses, which lowered my morale. At that time, it was a very tough time for me because my mother had passed away and I didn’t have a clear goal.
I needed clarity, so I worked really hard during the lockdown period to get it while also asking myself whether I wanted to play or not. I couldn’t run away from the fact that yes, I want to play for India yet again, and I started working on that thought process. I ultimately got clarity after that tough phase.”On asking how she has adapted to different positions over the years, Devika said, “Actually, I always batted in the top four order for the Maharashtra cricket team, but after the last twoseasons, I realised that if I want to make an international comeback, I need to change mymind-set and practise accordingly. As a result, in the last two domestic seasons, I went lowerdown the order to bat and also adapted that very nicely, like going to bat in the 13th over andalso accelerating the game simultaneously. I also worked on a couple of things with my bowling,and like I said, with a few changes in my game and mind-set, like batting in challenging situations,it helped me adapt to different positions over the year.”
Further Devika spoke about her special memories when playing cricket, she said, “Yes, there are many memories. Actually, the moment I step on the ground, it is always a great feeling, so there isno specific feeling about it, but the last ball boundary that I hit against Australia was a recent great memory for me. After that, I gained a lot of confidence and support, and it was only possible because of the huge crowd present at the stadium. Since I started playing U-19 cricket, I have always tried to give my best in every match by leading the team and also by trying to create more memories.”Devika spoke on playing for the Indian National Team, she said, “I think it has always been a dream of mine to stand for the national anthem for my country and the team, which I was unfortunately missing for the last few years. So, when I again got selected for the Indian team for the Australia series, I felt like I was in heaven. I also want to add one more thing – winning the World Cup is my ultimate dream.”