Pushed by ‘grah’ and Google, Vaishnavi’s genius is a present ready to be unwrapped this Sri Lanka collection

Vaishnavi Sharma is a product of two Gs— grah (planet) and Google. The left-arm spinner who made her debut for India within the first T20I towards Sri Lanka in Visakhapatnam owes her profession to her astrologist father, Dr. Narendra Sharma.

“When Vaishnavi was born, we drew out her  kundali (horoscope) and located that she has two avenues of success—drugs and sport. On the time, I believed that if she turned a health care provider, the town would know her, but when she succeeded in a sport, the world would,” he informed Sportstar.

Narendra performed gully cricket himself however had nobody to assist his ambitions, so he moved mountains for his son and daughter. Vaishnavi picked up a bat and ball at age 4 and by no means seemed again. 

Household exercise | For the Sharma household, getting Vaishnavi’s cricket profession was a shared ambition. Her father Narendra, brother Ashendra and mom Asha had been key contributors to her youth.
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‘Make Vaishnavi play cricket’

“Throughout her summer season holidays, we might take her to camps for about 15-20 days. After that, we used to assist her and her brother, Ashendra, practice at dwelling. Their mom, Asha, and I might each give them throwdowns. At one level, my son turned to me and stated, ‘Papa, I can’t get up so early within the morning. Let me be. I’ll research properly. You make Vaishnavi play cricket.’”

Narendra personally oversaw his daughter’s evolution as an all-rounder till 2021. The household skilled at Tansen Cricket Academy, amenities of the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Affiliation, and the Gwalior District Cricket Affiliation. Vaishnavi made the U-16 Madhya Pradesh crew on the age of 11, and the ambiance there fuelled her curiosity additional. 

“Every time we encountered an issue in her coaching, we might rapidly Google how one can sort out it and provides her routines accordingly.”

On the facet of all this, Narendra insulated his daughter from naysayers. 

“There was plenty of opposition to the choice to place her into cricket. I had plenty of relations query my resolution to enrol her in sports activities and whether or not it was the proper factor to do. For me, boy or woman didn’t matter. I needed to nurture her expertise.”

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That demanded fairly just a few sacrifices. 

“I work on a contract foundation with the college, and there have been instances after I needed to stop for a bit and keep at dwelling so I may work on Vaishnavi. I’ve a PhD in Astrology and am the one one with that qualification in Gwalior (sic). However I wanted to be my daughter’s shadow, in order that took priority over the whole lot else. At one level, to finance what we wanted to do, I acquired a bond placed on the home I constructed for about ₹25 lakh. That helped me deal with my children’ bills. COVID-19 introduced extra issues, and I needed to promote the home. I, thus far, dwell in a rented place with my household.” 

Narendra performed gully cricket himself however had nobody to assist his ambitions, so he moved mountains for his son and daughter. [Screenshot of Narendra’s lock screen]
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The WPL snub

The concentrate on the large image saved the household grounded as they waited for Vaishnavi’s massive break. No takers within the Girls’s Premier League public sale dented her confidence a bit, however Narendra was unfazed. 

“Anytime she confronted a hurdle, I might solely remind her that higher issues are within the offing. Not too long ago, she was slightly dejected when she didn’t land a WPL contract. It hit her confidence, however I reassured her that one thing even larger was written in her future. Just a few days later, the India call-up arrived.”

Regardless of going wicketless, she was essentially the most economical, conceding simply 16 runs in 4 overs. She would have had a dismissal marked towards her identify as properly, if not for Sree Charani’s odd effort at quick superb leg at hand a reprieve to Hasini Perera.

“There was no disappointment [when the catch was dropped]. I’m simply very comfortable that I used to be in a position to execute my plan, and there are 4 extra matches to go,” she stated after India’s eight-wicket win. 

Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur likes to have the cushion of wicket-taking spinners, as evidenced by her use of and reliance on Deepti Sharma. She welcomed Vaishnavi into the squad with related expectations. 

“Everyone knows you’ve executed wonders within the Below-19 World Cup,” Harmanpreet stated as she put her arm across the teen throughout her cap presentation, referring to Vaishnavi ending because the event’s prime wicket-taker with 17 scalps at a median of 4.35

“Even this home season was excellent for you (21 wickets within the Senior Girls’s T20 Trophy and 12 scalps from 5 matches, essentially the most, within the Senior Girls’s Inter-Zonal T20). We’re 100% certain that you just’ll convey the identical wicket-taking strategy to your worldwide cricket additionally,” she added. 

Vaishnavi seemed extra nervous ready to do her maiden press convention in India colors than she did with the ball in hand. The phrases of her mother and father rang in her thoughts: “Simply do properly, beta (little one). Present the world what you might be able to doing.”

Just a few days earlier than the sport, when the crew was in the course of their photoshoot with the brand new T20 jerseys, Vaishnavi referred to as her mother and father together with her palm masking the cellphone digicam so she may shock them. Large smiles adorned their faces, however the pair may barely handle to string phrases collectively. 

India’s Vaishnavi Sharma being congratulated by her teammates after the previous obtained her India cap.
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Ok. R. DEEPAK

“No phrases, it was simply pleasure. I teared up immediately,” Narendra stated, as he broke away into tears once more. “My spouse and I cried. We noticed these desires on behalf of Vaishnavi and made her work on them, and he or she has gone on that path and executed so properly. All I hope is that the one means ahead is up. I solely inform her to think about her expertise and exhausting work; God will do the remaining.”

Vaishnavi too entrusts the large troubles to cosmic powers. Between video games, the teen—who turned 20 just a few days in the past—spent a while with the squad on the well-known Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha temple in Simhachalam, Visakhapatnam. She focuses on the factor she does greatest—enjoying cricket and enjoying properly. 

“No matter occurs, it will likely be good. Let’s go away it to God,” she would comment on the presser.

With inputs from Anirudh Velamuri

Printed on Dec 22, 2025