Dayalan Hemalatha, an Indian batter hailing from Chennai, has made a significant impact in women’s cricket. With her impressive performances in the domestic circuit and in the Women’s Premier League, Hemalatha has emerged as a special player who came back to international cricket after a gap of three years. Her journey, marked by perseverance and determination, is a great example of her passion for the sport and her ability to overcome the challenges she faced in her early years.
Just before being selected for the Indian women’s team, she met with a serious motorcycle accident, which left her with a broken wrist. After consultation with the doctor, Hemalatha was advised to take a break from playing cricket for two or more years, because excessive hand movement could harm her injury.
Hemalatha said, “That was the biggest setback in my life.”
Hemalatha started her international career when she was selected for India’s ODI squad against England in March 2018. Despite not playing in those matches, she eventually made her ODI debut against Sri Lanka on September 11, 2018. Her skills then secured her a place in India’s team for the 2018 ICC Women’s World Twenty20 in the West Indies, where she made her WT20I debut against New Zealand on November 9, 2018.
She was only 20 years old at the time of the incident. Further in the interview with ESPNcricinfo, she highlighted her struggle with the reality of missing up to two years during a period she considered ideal for showcasing her skills. This setback was particularly disheartening as it came just when she was beginning to establish herself in the sport. The injury’s timing disrupted her development and ambitions, highlighting the profound impact such interruptions can have on young athletes at the crucial start of their careers.
Hemalatha mentioned, “I couldn’t accept the fact that I would miss two years due to this injury. I was at my peak age to showcase my cricketing skills. But unfortunately, I was going to miss 1-2 years of my cricketing career, especially at the start of my career.”
Even with an injured wrist, she wished to hold her cricket bat again. She would constantly look at it and check the grip whenever she walked by it. Just one and a half months after her accident, she started swinging the bat with her other hand. And within seven months, by god’s grace and Hemalatha’s hard work, she was able to play cricket full-time again. She gives credit for her quick recovery to her deep love for the sport of cricket.
Hemalata shared her journey of mental and physical recovery during a challenging period in her cricketing career. Despite the urge to pick up her bat every time she saw it, she was unable to play, which caused significant mental stress. This persistent desire to return to the game fueled her rapid recovery within seven months. Throughout this period, Hemalata focused on enhancing her mental toughness and learning to navigate difficult situations by reflecting on her self-talk and the motivations behind her goals, emphasizing these tough times as invaluable lessons in mental resilience, which she considers the most significant life lesson she has learned.
She mentioned, “Whenever I saw my bat, I felt an urge to pick it up. Not being able to play really stressed me out mentally. Those tough times taught me how to grow stronger mentally. That’s the biggest life lesson I learned.”
After her accident, she had to start over again in cricket from the very beginning. But soon, she performed well enough to be selected for the India A team. Her impressive performances for India A against the Australia A and England A teams led to her getting called up to the senior national cricket team in March 2018. She finally made her international debut for India in July 2018 against Sri Lanka and was also picked for the 2018 T20 World Cup squad.
However, even after making her place in the Indian team, her career had its ups and downs. After the Women’s Asia Cup in October 2022, she was excluded from the Indian team, and so, she spent the next 16 months out of the national team. It was the ‘mental strength’ she had developed during those difficult times that really helped her make a comeback to the Indian team with more determination this time around. After being out for 16 months due to average performance, she was called back up for the T20I series against Bangladesh in April-May 2024. Her excellent performance in that series earned her a spot in India’s squads for the white-ball (ODI and T20I) series against South Africa. She is not taking this opportunity lightly after fighting her way back, thanks to the mental toughness she built when things were challenging for her career previously.
When Hemalatha realized she was getting another chance with the Indian team, she told herself she wanted to make the most of this opportunity. Hemalata emphasized the crucial role of mental strength at every level of cricket. She acknowledged that playing for India was a significant goal but recognized that achieving this required excelling at every level, which also demanded strong mental resilience. Even after making her comeback to the Indian team, she maintained her focus and drive. She never viewed this achievement as the pinnacle of her career, but rather as a step in her ongoing journey.
She said, “Even after making my India comeback, I didn’t take it easy. It wasn’t my final goal. I never thought ‘this is the biggest thing.’ Even after reaching the Indian team, I stayed focused on giving my best for the team and thinking of ways to help the team win.”
Hemalatha mentioned that the domestic games were actually very important for her cricketing career to shine brighter and showcase her batting skills. Her performances in them were excellent, not small at all. She scored 199 runs in six innings at an average of 49.75 for the Railways in a domestic T20 tournament last year. She scored two half-centuries and helped Railways win a domestic one-day tournament this year. She also won another inter-zonal one-day tournament.
Hemalatha did well in the Women’s Premier League too, with a brilliant innings of 74 runs off just 40 balls against Mumbai Indians being a highlight despite her team’s poor season overall.
With some Indian batters injured and Hemalatha showing such consistent form that could no longer be ignored, the selectors gave her the important no. 3 batting position in the recent Bangladesh series, and she performed admirably, justifying her selection.
At the time of Hemalatha’s comeback match, the 2nd T20I against Bangladesh in Sylhet, she showed her excellent ball-striking ability. She stepped out to hit the off spinner over cow corner for her first big shot of the day, eventually scoring 41 runs off just 24 balls. Over the four-match series, she displayed a wide range of shots – stylish cover drives, lofted shots down the ground, well-timed sweeps, and all the skills she possesses as a classy batter. She finished with the highest strike rate of 141.55 in the series.
Hemalata emphasizes the importance of versatility and adaptability in her batting approach. She focuses on maintaining a strike rate over 100, honing her basics to enhance her power-hitting. Understanding that batting is fundamentally about timing, she practices diligently to ensure the ball travels far. She has also developed the ability to hit in different areas of the ground, a skill she honed even during the Women’s Premier League. However, she doesn’t solely concentrate on power-hitting during practice, she is prepared to adapt her game according to the situation, whether it requires attacking or patient batting. She prides herself on the ability to play both styles of cricket without pre-planning her innings, demonstrating her strategic flexibility and mental acuity on the field.
Hemalatha said, “I focus on maintaining a strike rate over 100. I work on my basics, which helps my power-hitting. Batting is about timing, so I practice that. If you have good timing, the ball will travel far. I’ve also worked on hitting in different areas of the ground.”
Hemalatha only learned that women could have professional cricket careers in 2012 before starting college. She was excited about the prospect of making it her career. Her parents were initially hesitant but eventually supported her dream. Her father advised her, ‘Whatever you do, put your heart into it.’ She learned the basics from her neighborhood coach Sriram. Once selected for the Tamil Nadu state team, she started training under renowned Chennai coach Peter Fernandez.
Hemalatha then moved from playing for Tamil Nadu to the Railways domestic team, where she got to play alongside her idol Mithali Raj. They also played together for the Indian national team and were reunited at the Women’s Premier League, where Mithali is the mentor for Hemalatha’s team Gujarat Giants.
Hemalata greatly values her interactions with Mithali Raj, whom she regards as a legendary player. Mithali’s comprehensive knowledge of the game, including mindset and match approach, has been immensely beneficial to Hemalata both on and off the field. Mithali is well-acquainted with Hemalata’s strengths and offers tailored advice on strategies against specific bowlers and techniques for batting on various pitches. They share valuable insights during practice sessions and their conversations continue even after Hemalata has finished batting.
Hemalatha expressed her admiration by saying, “Mithali is a legendary player. You can ask her anything about the game, mindset, how to approach a match – she has all the answers.”
Hemalatha expects a lot from herself. During the breakthrough Bangladesh series, she felt unsatisfied with one of her batting performances, only to return to the dressing room being praised for her brilliant stroke play.
Hemalata shares her admiration for Harmanpreet Kaur, describing her as an aggressive fighter on the field and very friendly off it. After the second T20I, Harmanpreet complimented Hemalata on her beautiful shots, which was the moment she felt truly convinced of her performance. Despite the team’s happiness when she returned from batting, Hemalata wasn’t fully satisfied with her innings. It was the appreciation and positive feedback from her teammates that ultimately made her feel she had played well.
She said, “Harmanpreet Kaur is an aggressive fighter on the field but very friendly off it. After the 2nd T20I, she told me I played some beautiful shots. Only then was I convinced I played well.”
Despite suffering an injury setback early in her career, Hemalatha displayed remarkable mental strength to fight her way back into the team and at 30 years old, Hemalatha’s resilience, hard-hitting ability, and determination to keep improving make her an inspiring role model for aspiring cricketers.