In the recently concluded ICC Women’s World Cup, Agra’s very own all-rounder Deepti Sharma played a pivotal role in securing a historic win for the Indian team. Dazzling spectators with both the ball and bat, she set multiple records along the way.
But behind Deepti’s success is another native of Agra – Hemlata Kala. A former Indian women’s team player and chief selector, Hemlata first recognised Deepti’s prodigious talent about 15 years ago. She had gone to a local stadium where some children were playing a cricket match.
As she watched, a child hurled the ball and struck the stumps with a force unusual for someone that young. When Hemlata asked who the boy was, she was corrected: the child was a girl. That moment prompted her to advise Deepti’s brother, Sumit Sharma, to encourage his sister to take up the game.
Sumit then devoted himself to supporting Deepti’s cricket career, while Hemlata played the role of mentor.
Before discovering Deepti’s prodigious talent, Hemlata represented the country. She played in the 2005 Women’s World Cup. Her brother also played Under-19 cricket and runs a cricket academy in Agra, where Deepti would sometimes go to practice.
Newslaundry spoke to Hemlata about Deepti’s career and the evolution of the women’s game in India. She tells us that the women’s game has undergone a massive evolution, recalling how, during her playing days, they would travel by train and live in public resthouses. She claims that the women’s team now travels by flight and stays in five-star hotels.
Watch.
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