Asha means hope. On Monday in Sylhet, Asha Sobhana, 33, became the oldest Indian woman to make an international debut. India’s fourth T20I game of the five-match series against Bangladesh was a special milestone in a career defined by hope. After showcasing her skills at the WPL, Asha made it to the national team. It helped that India haven’t had a leg-spinner of note for a while since Poonam Yadav fell out of favor.
For a while, it looked like the weather would make her debut a damp squib, though. Rain eventually relented, and she had the chance to bowl – and celebrate two wickets. Asha took the prize wicket of captain Nigar Sultana Joty as India recorded a 56-run win to take the series score to 4-0. The leggie beat her on the inside edge with a straighter one, when Joty played for the turn, and was trapped plumb in front. Her second wicket was more classical leg spin, turning away from the right-handed Shorna Akter, inducing the edge that looped to the ‘keeper.
“This is really special, because it is for a special player,” vice-captain Smriti Mandhana said in a team huddle as she handed over the cap to her RCB teammate. “Seen you for more than 15 years in domestic cricket, perform well for any team you play. Your career has already been inspirational for a lot of domestic girls.”
Asha’s cricket journey started with her bowling with rolled-up balls of waste paper that she would wrap up with empty milk packets, tied up with a rubber band. She made the decision to pursue cricket as a profession in 2003. Her father was an auto driver, so finding money for kit bags and bus fares was difficult, but she got help from her coach Aaron George Thomas.
Toiling away in the domestic circuit for more than two decades – starting from being inspired by her brother, then playing for Kerala, followed by Railways, and finally Puducherry – Asha’s breakthrough came through the Women’s Premier League. RCB’s scouts spotted her, wanted a leg-spinner in their arsenal, and took a punt.
After a decent first season, she worked with former India spinner L Sivaramakrishnan, leveled up, and made the headlines when she picked up a 5-for in front of a roaring Chinnaswamy crowd against UP Warriroz this year. She was part of a strong spin-bowling unit that was at the heart of RCB’s famous title triumph, playing stellar roles in the playoff stages.
As the match ended in Sylhet, in an interview with the broadcaster, Asha could barely stop smiling as the rest of the teammates stood close by and cheered her on. “This was everything I was waiting for the past 12 to 15 years. 2012 was the year I came to the possibilities of India. From there to now 2024 is a long journey for me. Getting the India cap it’s like.. (smiles) feeling grateful. You can see my teammates are cheering. They are so supportive.”
In an interview with RCB during the IPL season, she had recalled: “In my life, so many people told me to stop playing cricket and all, but see there was hope for me and I always prayed to God that, ‘See I have worked so much… and I need to get something for it, I should reach somewhere…’ That was my goal. You should never lose hope, keep pushing your limits, and don’t listen to anybody who’s saying you can’t do something.”
Which explains her Instagram ID, which reads ashathehopejoy. Asha is her name, Joy is her father’s… and the hope is what she lives by. “So not just me but whoever sees my profile should get inspired and they should have some hope and joy with them all along, that is my wish,” she had added.
Indeed. Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies. When asked to give a message through the broadcast Asha smiled some more and said, “Age is just a number, of course, never give up.”
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
First uploaded on: 06-05-2024 at 22:43 IST
Tags: India Bangladesh Asha Sobhanas journey hope reaches pinnacle international debut Cricket News
