NEW DELHI: A significant reason exists for why G Trisha considers the 2023 U19 Women’s T20 World Cup final the most memorable match of her nascent cricketing career.
After all, it was the day India defeated England by seven wickets to claim the inaugural U19 Women’s T20 World Cup title in Potchefstroom, South Africa. In the chase of 69, Trisha had top-scored with 24, though she missed out on hitting the winning runs.
Trisha still vividly remembers the glory of India’s first World Cup victory in women's cricket. But another defining memory stands out for her from that day: making her match-winning 24 runs with a hairline wrist fracture.
“Everyone thought I wouldn’t have played, but I did manage to complete the match for India. So it is something very special for me because my physio came, hugged me and cried. It wouldn’t have been possible without our staff, physio or our coaches at that time because they have motivated and supported me, ” recalls Trisha in an exclusive conversation with IANS, before leaving for her second U19 World Cup in Malaysia.
Ahead of India starting their campaign against the West Indies on Sunday, their batting charge will depend on how the right-left combination of Trisha and G Kamalini fare at the top of the order. In India winning the inaugural U19 Women’s Asia Cup in Malaysia, Trisha amassed 159 runs from five innings at an average of 53 and a strike-rate of 120.45 to bag the Player of the Match award in the final and even pick Player of the Tournament honour.
Trisha, who has always impressed onlookers with her solid technique, elegant strokes along the ground and aerially, feels optimistic about leading India to their second U19 World Cup win and cap off her career at this level on a high.
“It’s not only about the Asia Cup win, we have been practising since last 6-7 months together, so we have a very good bond and are having fun. I’m really grateful for my second opportunity in this big event.”
“I have been preparing for this role for a long time and even did some power-hitting training, as well as whatever was needed to be done, which has always been a part of my routine. Winning the World Cup again will be a really proud moment, as I wish to end my U19s on a very good note, ” added Trisha.
Despite her mature and serious demeanour, Trisha recognises that Kamalini’s personality is strikingly different when on the field, considering that there was a bidding war for her services in the WPL auction, where Mumbai Indians eventually roped her in.
“With Kamu, it is always like, I don’t know how to say, but she’s like a child. Her batting is next level, but when she talks, you’ll understand how she is. But it’s fun to play with her, and other batters in the team. We know each other, what’s our strengths, and weaknesses. We understand each other a lot and we’ll just go forward like that.”
Long before 2005, and even before Trisha was born, her parents had resolved to raise their child, regardless of gender, as a cricketer. GV Rami Reddy was so committed to making Trisha a cricketer that he resigned from his position as a fitness trainer at ITC in Bhadrachalam, Telangana, and fully devoted his time to her career.
“I started playing cricket when I was two and it’s only because of my parents who nurtured the dream of making me a cricketer and they would be around for me doing everyday practice. Without my parents, especially my dad, without him I wouldn’t have been here. That’s for sure because his focus and moreover the confidence he has in me has been extremely important.”
In 2013-14, Trisha, Reddy, and her mother Madhavi moved to Hyderabad and joined St. John’s Cricket Academy, led by John Manoj, a place that also nurtured the legendary Indian cricketer Mithali Raj.
With batting being Trisha’s first love, she also trained to be a fast-bowler, but at the academy, one coach felt she was better off being a leg-spinner. “So with the same action, I started bowling leg-spin. I always got that name of mystery spinner (from her India U19 captain Niki Prasad during the Asia Cup), like ‘you come and bowl with a different action, batters will get confused’, ” added Trisha, who now trains at the Coaching Beyond academy, where former India fielding coach R Sridhar is a big guiding figure.
As an eight-year-old, Trisha went for her first U16 selection trials in 2014, where she played well, got selected into the inter-state competition and then became the highest run-scorer from the South Zone. It was a time when Trisha was the youngest player in the team, and everyone used to pamper her a lot.
She then entered the U19 and U23 Hyderabad sides in the following season, where current India U19 coach Nooshin Al Khadeer was also at the helm. Trisha later got a chance in the U19 challenger trophy and moved swiftly into the reckoning for the India U19 team in their preparation for the 2023 World Cup.
Trisha was there when India won the quadrangular U19 series in Visakhapatnam, a home series against New Zealand’s development side in Mumbai, the away series against South Africa and ending the remarkable run with the World Cup win.
While yet to debut in the Women’s Premier League (WPL), Trisha acknowledges its influence on women’s cricket so far. “First of all, a lot of girls are coming up to play cricket after watching WPL and it’s a very good thing in women’s cricket because parents always don’t send their girls into sports like cricket or any sport.”
“But after watching those WPL matches live, there’s a change coming as I see a lot of girls coming up to play the sport, and that’s one of the best things which this tournament has given. Even for us, we are seeing top players and learning a lot from them. Even we are going for WPL trials, it is way more different than what we actually see in our domestic cricket games.”
Off the field, Trisha finds solace in painting, a hobby she indulges in between tours. With her parents’ support allowing her to focus entirely on cricket, Trisha mentions how they are pretty chilled in terms of studies. “They are like ‘you just focus on the cricket’ and ‘aap sirf field pe scores karo (you just think about the scores on the field)’.”
Trisha is one of the three players alongside Sonam Yadav and Shabnam Shakil to play their second U19 World Cup for India when their campaign starts on Sunday.
With the senior men’s team recently suffering a 3-1 Test series loss to Australia, the U19 women’s team has a chance to lift the spirits of cricket fans back home if they go all the way to the trophy on February 2.
“The coaches tell us to enjoy every moment in the game. They’re always pretty supportive irrespective of whatever the situation or circumstances are. Also, for the fans, please watch all the matches because we are going to win the World Cup. Malaysia is too hot, so no cold, no fog, nothing like that - just come and cheer for us, ” concluded a determined Trisha.