Shambhavi, Mariya, Ananya, Ayushi, Ridhima, Alisa show promise
STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: With their immense talent and good temperament, coupled with game attitude and aptitude, these six budding women players of Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) are all set to cast a spell on the sporting fraternity and reign the cricketing world with their unmatched ability, provided they keep their basics right, their energy is channelized properly and their skill honed skillfully by their coaches, selectors and other allied officials.
The women cricket in Jammu and Kashmir, without any exaggeration, is on upswing and the time is ripe to produce International stuff from the Union Territory.
The six JKCA young women cricketers, who possess almost all that is required to blossom at the national or even international scene include batter Shambhavi Rajput, fast bowler Mariya Noorain, medium pacer Ananya Dogra, fast bowler Ayushi Ambardar, all-rounder Ridhima Rajput and top-order batter Alisa Jan, besides a few more names like Manya Banotra, Sania Slathia, Maroof Anjum and likes.
These budding women cricketers have a tremendous potential and if they get married to this game, the euphoria of which has enveloped the entire world, the sky is the limit for them.
J&K’s young women cricketers have proved this fact by qualifying for the knockout stage in BCCI’s prestigious Women’s U-15 One-Day Trophy last season. For this achievement, apart from the selectors, the coaches and the management deserve appreciation.
Shambhavi Rajput: Shambhavi Rajput is a top class top-order batter, who is simply a class act when on song. Apart from representing J&K in the tender age group of U-15 years, she has the distinction of representing Jammu and Kashmir also in U-19 and U-23 age groups. The athletic and energetic cricketer is also a good fielder and also has kept wickets for the State team. Apart from giving good contributions in U-19 and U-23 groups, Shambhavi featured in six matches of Women’s U-15 One-Day Trophy and scored 103 runs, which, however, doesn’t justify his real talent. She is far more a better player than this performance.
Mariya Noorain: A genuine quick bowler, who has the ability to wobble the ball both ways, has the distinction of representing Jammu and Kashmir in all age groups including seniors from the last four seasons. Apart from taking the bulk of wickets in U-19 and U-23 age groups, Mariya has proved her worth by bowling against quality batters of the country while representing Jammu and Kashmir in Senior Women’s One-Day Trophy. She is a die-hard cricketer and always ready to learn.
Ananya Dogra: For her splendid display of bowling skills in the Women’s U-15 One-Day Trophy this season, right-arm medium pacer, Ananya Dogra of Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA), has been selected by the All India Junior Selection Committee for the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI’S) prestigious High Performance Camp to be held at Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh.
Ananya, has taken 10 wickets in the five Women’s U-15 One-Day Trophy league matches, with 4/20 in 6 overs against formidable Karnataka as her best. Ananya, though bowls a military medium stuff but has made quality batters to struggle as she is deceptive with her variations.
Ayushi Ambardar: A tall well built very young medium pacer is already showing the signs of becoming a genuinely quick bowler in the near future. Ayushi’s rhythmic run-up, smooth action and a fantastic follow through makes her a different kind of bowler. With age on her side, she is a great fast bowling prospect. She is also a promising lower-order batter, though, at the national scene she has yet to get much opportunity with the bat. She is athletic, possesses motor-ability, anticipation and has a pair of safe hands in business.
Ridhima Rajput: Ridhima Rajput is a promising spin bowling all-rounder, having grit and guts in all the departments of the game. She featured in six matches of Women’s U-15 One-Day Trophy last season and took 11 wickets to attain 9th spot in the rankings all over India. She is a utility batter and has contributed with the willow at the national scene also.
Alisa Jan: Alisa Jan is a top-order batter to almost perfection. She played six matches of Women’s U-15 One-Day Trophy last season and scored 109 runs to secure 44th spot in the batting rankings all over India. As a batter Alisa has a good temperament and is always a hard nut to crack.