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It’s been two weeks since the Indian women’s team fell agonisingly short of clinching their maiden World Cup. Despite the heartbreaking loss in the final to England at Lord’s, India’s performance at the quadrennial event was an impeccable achievement.
Accolades have been pouring in for the players ever since they returned home to a rapturous welcome. Veda Krishnamurthy, the middle-order batswoman who played a part in India’s memorable run to the title round, is basking in the attention. But the Karnataka player is also aware of the importance of staying grounded.
“It’s great to see the team receive tremendous support and encouragement from all quarters. At the same time, it is important not to get carried by all the recognition and praise. I know that it is just a temporary phase and the bigger goal is to remain focused on playing well when I represent my country again. I have realised that hard work will always get you noticed,” says the 24-year-old.
A level-headed approach to the game has helped Veda handle success and setbacks in a matured manner. The Chikamagalur girl, who made her one-day international debut against England at Derby in the Natwest Women’s Quadrangular Series in 2011, lost her place in the Indian team after a year. Not allowing the tough phase to cause a massive dent to her confidence, Veda fought her way back into the national side and her impressive show at the World Cup augurs well for her rising career.
After a quiet first half, Veda announced her arrival in the World Cup in the all important tie against New Zealand. In what was a virtual quarterfinal, her heroic 45-ball 70 powered India to a fighting total of 265/7. Her counter-attacking style of play often puts oppositions under pressure and her aggressive intent almost saw India topple England in the final. After the top order had done its job, victory was very much in sight for India and it all boiled down to nerves. Veda though didn’t try anything different and stuck to her natural game. Striking five fours, she had rushed to a 34-ball 35 before one loose shot landed a huge blow to India’s chances. The Mithali Raj’s side crumbled after Veda’s departure and England ran away with the game.
India’s inability to handle the big-match pressure was exposed in the final and that was one of the biggest learnings from the World Cup, feels Veda. “The World Cup taught us how to analyse games. It was a huge learning experience for all of us. We need to play better under crunch situations and we learnt that we had to respond better in pressure games.”
Veda, who is now an integral part of India’s limited over set up, has had her share of ups and downs ever since she started playing the game at the age of 12. “I played cricket for fun but after my move to Bengaluru at 13 to get enrolled at the Karnataka Institure of Cricket, I became more interested,” she recollects.
Consistent performances at the domestic circuit earned her an India cap at the age of 18 and following a dream debut, where she slammed a half-century, Veda’s fine run was cut short the very next year when she was dropped from the team.
“Till 2011, I reperesented Karnataka and I was one of the stand out performers in the team. However, my shift to Railways in 2012 didn’t yield the required results initially. In Railways, each and every player is an India prospect and to make a name for yourself demanded special performances. I needed some time to get adjusted to the new set up and my form took a hit in the process. I had to wait for two years to play for India again and it was depressing to remain out of the national team. But I realised that I had to handle the phase with a mature mind and I worked on my physical and mental strengths,” she explains.
In 40 ODIs, she has raked up 678 runs at an average of 27.12 with a highest score of 71. Among the handful of match-winning knocks essayed by her, she picks her fifty in the World Cup game against New Zealand as one of the special innings. “It will always remain close to my heart. My knock turned out to be very important to the team. I am asked to increase the run-flow coming down the order and I felt I succeeded in my role. I slammed a century in a crucial game against Tamil Nadu in an inter-state tournament and I still cherish that knock,” confesses Veda, who has scored 470 runs from 37 T20 internationals.
Irfan Sait, head coach at the KIOC, lauds her love for the game. “Since she practiced karate, she has great speed and agility in her hands and legs. But the way she adapted to the game shows how much she loves cricket. At the academy we were delighted with someone with so much agility and we knew she was special. Right from the start she was very impressive and would work hard regularly. The biggest plus in Veda is that she enjoys what she does and she puts in a lot of effort straight from the heart. Be it fielding, catching or batting, you don’t need to force anything on her,” says Irfan.
The brand of cricket exhibited by the Indian eves has come as a big boost to women’s cricket in the country and Veda stresses that it’s important to enjoy the new responsibility. “It’s an added responsibility and we need to like the pressure. At the start of the World Cup, we were clearly the underdogs and not many gave us a chance to the reach the semifinals. But it worked in our favour as we could concentrate more on the game and nothing else.”
On the personal front, the key is to remain consistent to enjoy a long career, feels Veda, who is employed at the Indian Railways in New Delhi. “Reaching the top level is easier but to sustain the good show is the challenging factor. I believe in contributing to the team’s growth and give more weightage to winning matches for India. If you are vital in your team’s progress then your individual career gets blossomed during the process,” she concludes.