Rising star of India’s women cricket

All of 22 years of age, Ravi Venkateswarlu Kalpana, the wicketkeeper, right-hand-batter from Andhra Pradesh is an inspiration for aspiring young women cricketers in the State. Hailing from a poor background and bagging a place in the Indian National Cricket Team, has made her a name to reckon with amongst the cricket lovers in Andhra Pradesh. 

Kalpana, who belongs to Krishna district, made her ODI debut on June 28, 2015 against New Zealand and played seven matches until 2016.After a gap of three years, she made it back to the national team and will represent India as the second wicket keeper in the squad that will play in England towards the end of this month. In an exclusive with The Hans India, Kalpana talks about her cricketing career. 

Excerpts:

How are the opportunities for girls in Andhra Pradesh in the field of Cricket? 
From the last three to four years, women’s cricket has been gaining popularity, and so the conditions are also better than before, I personally feel that I took a great decision to be a Cricketer. As a cricketer I received 4000 rupees per month at ACA Women’s Cricket Academy, Guntur, which helped me buy my cricket kit and use the amount for other expenses.

How does the competition for a slot in the team make you feel?
The competition is always healthy because it improves our game and consistency to be in the team and we always complement each other on each other’s success.

Do the seniors treat you well as you are a new player?
Ans: They do. Senior players like Mithali Raj, Veda Krishna Murthy, Jhulan Goswami and Harmanpreet always back me up and try to motivate me when I get anxious.

Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
I would love to see myself as World’s best Wicket-Keeper and batter. 

Any word for budding women Cricketers?
My father is an auto driver. Had I had chosen to study something without my interest; no one would have known me. I chose cricket which is my passion and made my parents proud.Whatever you choose, see that your passion and career fall in the same place.