Young Roshini shines bright on State’s stage

Roshini Kiran didn’t need an external source of inspiration to start playing cricket. Her cousin Rohit Kumar’s ardent love for the game sparked her interest.

“My cousin would daily bat in the ‘nets’ at the Vinayaka Cricket Academy (VCA) in Nagarbhavi and I would go along with him. I was 11 years old then and though I enjoyed batting, I didn’t take cricket seriously. It was only after he began playing matches at the zonal-level that I felt the urge to focus completely on cricket and achieve something big,” Roshini tells DH.

Three years into the sport, Roshini, a student of Delhi Public School (Mysore Road), has made impressive progress.

After getting picked for the U-16 State girls’ team last year, the 14-year-old opener played a key role in Karnataka’s title-winning show in the U-16 South Zone Championship in Puducherry last month.

The right-hand batter, the vice-captain of the team, began well by slamming 49 in Karnataka’s five-wicket victory over Tamil Nadu. Her 59 against Andhra helped Karnataka knock down the target of 132 with ease and Roshini was adjudged the player of the match.

“To win the championship was a great feeling. All of us bonded well in the team. I was hitting the ball well in every game. I am someone who believes in spending time in the middle. That helps me pace my knocks well,” says Roshini, who credits her mother Nivedita for her steadfast support. It was coach Vinay Kumar at the VCA who honed her skills first. Currently, Roshini trains under Vijay Madyalkar at the Just Cricket ground.

“When I first saw her bat, her hand-eye coordination impressed me. But she batted with a defensive mindset.”

“ We worked on her stroke-making and she has improved a lot. Now she bats with a positive mind and looks for runs,” observes Madyalkar.

Backed by father R Kiran and uncle R Kumar, Roshini faced a test of her mental strength last year.

“When she first made it into the State team, she didn’t receive enough opportunities and that affected her confidence.”

“That’s when she decided to dedicate more time on training. She now practices in the morning for three hours and then works on her fitness in the evening for two hours,” says her uncle R Kumar.

Currently part of the U-19 State team for a national tournament in Assam, Roshini feels this is the best time to play women’s cricket as she aims for more success.