Character more important than on-field performance, says Vaishnavi on life in international cricket

New Delhi, May 4 For left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma, donning the India jersey and transitioning to the senior set-up after U19 Women’s T20 World Cup win has been the realisation of a long-standing dream.

But the young left-arm spinner believes that character and humility hold greater weight than on-field performance to excel in the high-pressure world of international cricket.

So far, Vaishnavi has played 5 T20Is for India and picked five scalps at an average of 23.80 and an economy rate of 6.26, with best figures of 2/24. Despite being with the team on multi-format tour of Australia, Vaishnavi missed out on playing in T20Is, but made her ODI debut in Hobart, where she finished wicketless.

“I feel very amazing and proud to be an international cricketer now. Ever since I was 11-12 years old, I have been dreaming of wearing an India jersey and I got to wear it from last year. So it always gives me the best and most proud feeling. Whenever I wear it, I think that I have to do something for India and I have to give my best contribution and give it my all,” Vaishnavi said exclusively to IANS on the sidelines of the 'Fancatchstic Chapter 2' event.

While on-field exploits remain the primary metric of success, Vaishnavi’s initial stint with the national team has provided her with a deeper perspective on the off-field conduct of senior stars like skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and off-spin bowling all-rounder Sneh Rana.

“First of all, I learnt that everyone talks about the on-field performance. But what I learnt off-field is how your character is, and how you are as a person, that is more important. Every time your name is mentioned, you are a big player. But how good you are as a person. Harry di, Sneh di, and all the players who are playing for India, they are very humble and very down to earth. I want to bring more of that in myself,” she said.

After missing the bus for the Women’s T20 World Cup, Vaishnavi is now preparing for the India ‘A’ tour of England, where she has set high benchmarks for her contribution to the team.

Northampton and Chelmsford are venues for T20 games to be played from June 20-25. Hove and Taunton will be host to one-day matches set to be held from June 28 to July 4. “The preparation for that is that wherever I am lacking, I will go home and practice on it.

“I will change my routine and make new goals. I will do as much as I can so that when I go to England and give my best performance, I can contribute for India A. It should be such that my name will be mentioned that I took 5 wickets in a game against England,” she added.

Speaking on the crowded field of left‑arm spinners, Vaishnavi underlined the need to focus on her own game rather than looking at her competitors. “I always keep a healthy competition. I compare with myself more because if I become the best by myself, then I will move forward. So, I don't think so much – as I always think I have to do my best for India.”

The Gwalior-based Vaishnavi also credited her domestic side, Madhya Pradesh, and its Director of Cricket Chandrakant Pandit for creating a high-performance environment that prepares women’s cricketers for the rigours of international cricket.

“In Madhya Pradesh, there is Chandrakant Pandit – and he’s Chandu sir for us. He works so hard for us and prepares every small thing for us. For example, when it rains, no one has a camp. But we have a camp - a mixed camp in which we learn diving and everything else. We correct our mistakes and work on every little thing.

“It's not like only girls are there – both boys and girls are present, so its mixed because we can learn from boys and they also learn from girls. So, the entire credit goes to Chandu sir because he is preparing us so well. Even, all the new rules of the BCCI are told to us very much in time.

“I mean, all the rules of the BCCI or related to anti-doping, etc, we are already told that all these things can happen at the next level. The level while playing outside the state is the level Chandu sir is already trying to make for us at MPCA. So, it becomes easy outside and that we don't have to worry because already at MPCA, they are providing us with all those things,” she concluded.

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