A big moment awaits Odisha with state cricketers Sujata Mallick and Priyanka Priyadarshini getting selected for the Women’s T20 Challenge to be played in Pune from May 22-28.
The two bowlers, who have been mainstays of the Odisha side for more than a decade and have also played a vital role in the team reaching the semifinals of the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy held earlier this year, are part of the Trailblazers side that will be captained by Smriti Mandhana.
It’s not the first time though that a player from Odisha has been selected for the Women’s T20 Challenge. Sushree Dibyadarshini played for Velocity in the 2019 and 2020 editions.
Speaking from Pune the two couldn’t hold back their excitement in getting a chance to brush shoulders with the country’s best alongwith some of the foreign stars.
“This is a great opportunity to know how the international players train, their work ethics, and how they work on their skills first hand,” said Sujata, a medium pacer, and a huge fan of Zaheer Khan and Jhulan Goswami.
She was the second-highest wicket taker in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy where she picked up 11 wickets in seven matches at an average of 11.81.
Like Sujata, Priyanka also got 11 wickets in the same number of matches and is third on the list. Her average was 12.0. Priyanka also fared well in the Women’s Senior One-day Trophy where she returned figures of 11 wickets from 7 matches.
“I am very excited to play under Smriti Mandhana. I have been watching her play regularly and I want to learn as much as possible from her. How to play under pressure and how to perform on the big stage,” said Priyanka, an off-break bowler who loves to bowl the ‘wrong one’.
An ardent follower of Harbhajan Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin, it all began for Priyanka when she was studying in class 8. “I used to play gully cricket with the boys during my childhood but when I came to know that women’s cricket exists separately, I asked around and came to know that women cricketers train inside Kalinga Stadium,” added Priyanka.
Without wasting any time, she began going there and started taking lessons from Pradosh Mishra and that is where she also met Sujata.
“I was an athlete at school and took part in various sports. One day I saw few women carrying kit bags and bats while walking on the road. Being inquisitive, I started to follow them, and I ended up at Kalinga Stadium where I began my training,” added Sujata.
Although they studied at the same school – Unit 4 Government Girls’ High School in Madhusudan Nagar in Bhubaneswar – it was on the cricket field that the two became friends and together they began making a mark.
As the two got better and broke into the Odisha side – Priyanka in 2007 and Sujata in 2008 – they shifted their base and started training under Khirod Behera at Jagruti Cricket Academy in Bhubaneswar.
“It’s been almost 12 years that I have been playing under him and all credit to him for what I have achieved in my cricketing career. Also huge thanks to Odisha Cricket Association for giving us the opportunity and facilities,” added Priyanka, who got a call-up to the U19 national camp at the start of her career and trained at National Cricket Academy in 2017. She has also been part of the India A side and has played in the Women’s Challenger Trophy.
Like Priyanka, Sujata also credited coach Behera for her achievements and wants to make him proud with her performance in the upcoming tournament.
Coach Behera is meanwhile ardently waiting to see his students shine on the big stage and hopes it will inspire others to take up the game. “The two players getting a chance to play in the Women’s T20 Challenge is great news for Odisha cricket. Competition will rise among the players, and it will help develop the game in the state,” said the coach.
While there’s excitement all around, Sujata is a bit sad that her father, who was one of her biggest supporters, won’t be able to see her perform on such a big stage.
“He passed away in 2015. He supported me in every way possible so that I could play the game. Even though we weren’t financially well off, he did his best to get me good shoes and the other accessories,” added Sujata.
But keeping all emotions aside, Sujata just wants to focus on what lies ahead of her. Along with Priyanka, she is ticking off the dates waiting for the matchday to arrive. Trailblazers’ first match is on May 23 against Supernovas while their second game is against Velocity on May 26.
If they do get to play together, it would be a big moment for Odisha women’s cricket, something that cricket fans in the state will remember for a very long time.
