The Indian women’s cricket team, under the leadership of skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, is currently on tour of Bangladesh for a five-match Twenty20 International (T20I) series. Holding a commanding 3-0 lead, they introduced Asha Sobhana for her debut in the fourth T20I match.
Prior to the tour, the Women’s Selection Committee had announced the India squad, which saw the inclusion of two maiden calls, Sajeevan Sajana and Asha Shobhna. In the 4th T20I match, on 6th May 2024, Asha made her debut for India at the age of 33. Showcasing her leg-break bowling style, her inclusion has bolstered the Indian bowling lineup, marking her as the oldest debutant for India in T20Is and placing her third in the overall ranking for T20I oldest debuts.
Oldest debutants for India in T20Is:
Rahul Dravid 38 years 230 days vs England 31st Aug 2011
Sachin Tendulkar 33 years 217 days vs South Africa 1st Dec 2006
Asha Sobhana 33 years 51 days vs Bangladesh-W 6th May 2024
Asha Sobhana debuts for India at the age of 33 today. 👏 #CricketTwitter via @ovshake42 pic.twitter.com/q4EJZlttUo
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) May 6, 2024
The recently concluded Women’s Premier League (WPL) provided a significant platform for Asha to showcase her talent. Her exceptional performance in the competition propelled her onto the global stage. As the leading bowler for the 2024 WPL champions, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Asha achieved the season’s first 5-wicket haul and emerged as one of the top wicket-takers with 12 wickets in 10 innings.
Prior to her success in the WPL, Asha represented the Cricket Association Pondicherry in the 2023-24 Women’s One-Day Trophy, where she demonstrated her bowling prowess. With 16 wickets in just 7 innings, including a 4-fer and a 5-fer each, she maintained an exceptional economy of 2.99 and averaged 11.62.