MUMBAI: Even though they lost the T20I series against world champions Australia when they were beaten by 7 runs in the fourth T20I at the Brabourne Stadium on Saturday night, India will be encouraged by the fact that they fought tooth-and-nail in virtually every game.
Amongst the impressive performers for India in this series has been Devika Vaidya, one of Indian women's cricket's most heartening comeback stories in recent years. Making a comeback to the T20I side after 8 years, the 25-year-old allrounder has put in a decent show-making scores of 25 not out, 11 not out, 1 & 32, besides taking three wickets with her leg spin @36.33.
Post the fourth game, Vaidya opened up about the multiple problems she faced a few years back, which almost forced to contemplate quitting the sport, before her "dream of winning the Women's World Cup" helped her dispel those thoughts.
"It was all good until 2017. After that with a couple of injuries, dengue, chikungunya and what not, I had to miss a lot of series. After that there was a lack of confidence in me: whether I can really come back and play at the top level. At the end of the day, it was always a dream to come back, play for the country, and win a couple of World Cups. That dream actually kept me going. Whenever I used to think, ‘nahi khelna hai abhi, bass ho gaya (enough is enough, I don't want to play any more)' the thought that ‘if I don't play now, how will I win a World Cup' used to haunt me and kept me going," she said at the Cricket Club of India.
During the covid phase, the Maharashtra cricketer faced personal strife too, as he lost her mother, who died due to cardiac arrest. "My family and friends supported me through the tough phase especially during Covid when I lost my mom a year ago. I knew that if I get through this phase, nothing can stop me. Even if I didn't, my family believed I would play again someday," she said.
During her tough phase, she received plenty of support from her statemate and India teammate, star bat Smriti Mandhana. "One year before covid, because of my injuries, my state association [Maharashtra] always supported me. There were a couple of seniors… I used to tell Smriti that- from the time that we have been playing together since childhood- we wanted to play and win a World Cup together. We used to talk regularly and there were some India players who were in contact with me and officials. They used to back me saying you are a good bowler and batter. It's about getting in the right mindset and I would do well," she revealed.
Did she seek professional help to deal with her mental health issues? "I had sought professional help but then I realised that the best way to get out of it is speaking it out. I am not someone who would sit and talk about my problems with anyone and even with my family and friends. It took me a lot of effort to speak up and that helped me trust people other than just my mom. I realised there is a world apart from my mom. It took time but I am fine now," she stressed.
Vaidya has a simple message to those dealing with mental health problems. "Just follow whatever is inside. Follow your goals. Sometimes we just keep running away from our goals and treat them as problems – this is not happening because of that. That is how frustration builds. So I'd like to say that just back yourself and trust yourself. There will be a lot of phases where you won't even feel like even getting up from bed. But it's fine, it's just a phase," she advised.
After losing her mother, the process of reconciliation was a long and tough one for Vaidya. "I was practicing and came to know later [about her mother passing away]. It was a shock for the next one year. I couldn't realise what had happened because we were continuously playing. That was some kind of an escape. Playing was an escape because I didn't want to go home. Something has happened, I don't know what has happened. I didn't want to know or get used to the fact that she was not there. The first year (without her mother) was for me about escaping reality. After covid started, it hit me that the person so close to me was not with me anymore. I then had to support my family also. It was a partnership there also – taking care of my grandparents, and they taking care of me. It was a long journey but then some things have to be accepted," she recalled.
"My mom is always there - whether i am playing, not playing, if I am crying, laughing, winning matches. She is always there with me. Now that I have accepted that fact, it is very easy for me to deal with it," she said, turning emotional.
