WPL paved the way for World Cup opportunity: Bharti Fulmali

Nagpur: “When I failed to secure a place in the Indian team after 2019, I had almost given up hope. But my impressive performance in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) helped me earn a place in the Indian team and gave me the opportunity to play in the World Cup,” said Vidarbha all-rounder cricketer Bharti Fulmali.

Bharti was included on Saturday in India’s T20 squad for the Women’s T20 World Cup, which will be played in England from June 12. She has become the first woman cricketer from Vidarbha to be selected for India’s T20 World Cup squad. Earlier, in 2019, Mona Meshram had made it to India’s ODI World Cup squad, but at that time she was representing Indian Railways.

Originally from Amravati and the daughter of a teacher, 31-year-old Bharti is known for her aggressive batting style and has earned the nickname “Lady Gayle.” Speaking to Lokmat Times, Bharti expressed her happiness at fulfilling her dream of playing for India.

She said, “My dream of playing for the country has come true. India has not yet won the Women’s T20 World Cup. Now, with strong performances, my dream is to help India win the World Cup. My excellent performance in the WPL made it possible for me to return to the national team. The credit goes to the Gujarat team.”

Bharti had made her international T20 debut against England on March 7, 2019. After playing two T20 matches, she was overlooked by the selectors. Now, after seven years, she was included again in the Indian squad against Australia.

In the 2026 WPL auction, Gujarat retained Bharti for ₹70 lakh. She scored 85 runs in 5 matches at an average of 16.85 and a strike rate of 97.01. In the three-match series against South Africa, she also played an innings of 40 runs in one match.