Follow UsIn just a fortnight, Nallapureddy Sree Charani’s entire life changed.
She was no longer just an all-rounder from Andhra Pradesh; she would represent one of the biggest franchises on the women’s franchise circuit - Delhi Capitals (DC). Had you told all of this to her a few months back, it would have just been a joke that would have been brushed aside.
After all, Charani is from Kadapa, a district in Andhra Pradesh that isn’t exactly well-known for churning out cricketers. If you look at everyone around her, you wouldn’t necessarily assume that this young girl would become a cricketer in the future, with her dad and uncle having government jobs.
Ironically, it was them who planted the seed of Charani becoming a cricketer when they introduced her to the sport. But from there, it grew into a full-fledged interest when her dad bought her a cricket kit in seventh grade.
“I started playing cricket with my family—my uncle, dad, brother, and sister—we would all play together. Then, in my colony, my friends used to play, so I joined in as well. I think it was around my seventh grade when my father bought me a cricket kit,” Charani told Cricket.com.
“We actually had one even before that, so whenever we had free time, my uncle and I would go to the ground and practice. I was always involved in different sports, but cricket was the one I kept coming back to,” she added.
Before cricket became full-time, Charani also dabbled her hands in multiple sports - like kho-kho and badminton - which still remains a sport that she looks at when away from cricket. During her time in athletics, she had the chance to meet one of India’s finest shuttlers - PV Sindhu.
“I also played kho-kho and badminton, which was actually the first sport I started with. I used to watch players like Saina Nehwal and P.V. Sindhu on TV, and when I was involved in athletics, I even had the chance to meet Sindhu.”
The funny part is that Charani, who looks up to Yuvraj Singh, was just three years old when the yesteryear Indian star smashed six sixes in an over against Stuart Broad in Durban. Despite that, the influence of the left-hander has been so profound that Charani wishes one day to emulate Yuvraj’s heroic efforts.
“I remember watching videos of left-handed batters, and when I saw Yuvraj Singh hit six sixes in an over, I thought to myself, 'One day, I want to do that too,' she said.
Her life turned upside down when Delhi Capitals went all guns blazing to acquire her services for INR 55 lakh despite having two left-arm spinners at their disposal - Jess Jonassen and Radha Yadav. During that time, Charani was representing Andhra Pradesh in the Women’s Senior One Day Trophy, where she scored 71 runs in the competition, averaging 14.2, and picked up four wickets, including best figures of 3/13.
“I was with the Andhra team in Kolkata, playing in the Women's Senior One Day Trophy. We were all watching the auction live together when my name came up. My teammates were so excited that they brought a cake for me to celebrate,” she recalled the moment DC got her at the auction.
DC’s trust in Charani was such that they weren’t one bit scared to tryst her into quite a pressure situation on her Women’s Premier League (WPL) debut against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The left-arm spinner was handed the ball to deal against one of the world’s best batters, Ellyse Perry, who had, till then, taken the WPL season by storm with some swagger.
While she was hit for a six in her very first over, the 20-year-old made strong inroads later on to dismiss both Raghvi Bist and Richa Ghosh, finishing with figures of 2/28.
“I wasn’t nervous. Whenever I bowl, I focus on sticking to my strengths, and that’s exactly what I did that day. I knew that Perry could punish even the smallest mistake, so I made sure to stay disciplined. I also followed Meg’s [Lanning] advice, which really helped me execute my plan,” she said.
Unlike other captains, Lanning dealt with Charani’s inexperience in quite a different way, providing her with key insights rather than feeding her instructions on what to do in that situation. That allowed her to grasp the match situation and learn how to be match-aware.
“It was all about sticking to my strengths. Meg has been a great guide, constantly helping me and all my teammates. She gave me the right input based on the situation, which really helped me stay in control. Rather than telling me exactly what to do, she provided me with key insights that allowed me to make my own decisions on the field,” the youngster added.
However, behind the scenes, former Australian cricketer Lisa Keightley, DC’s assistant coach, has helped the left-arm spinner prepare for the big match. The 53-year-old has worked closely with Charani to help her mentally and provide feedback on her length and lines.
“Lisa [Keightley] ma’am guides me based on the situation, giving feedback on whether my lengths and lines are right. She constantly helps me by assessing each delivery and providing valuable inputs.”
The two came together earlier during the pre-season camp in Pune, where the Australian worked hard on the 20-year-old to help her accept international cricket’s standards.
“When we were in Pune for the first two days, I was going with only one pace, like I was just trying what I knew, but after I met with Lisa ma'am, she used to tell me what to do now when someone is going very hard on me, so what can I do? Lisa, ma'am, used to give me input, so I followed them, and I think that input is very helpful for me,” she said.
To date, Charani hasn’t had the opportunity to showcase her batting prowess at the WPL, but rest assured — when needed, she will be ready. Her strike rate of 133.3 in domestic T20s is all the indication of that.
But hitting six sixes? It will be quite a tale to tell if she does get there.
