Story of Hurley Gala – The Skating star turned Pace Bowler weaving U19 World Cup dreams

At just 15 years of age, she dismissed world number one T20I batter Shafali Verma and world number three T20I all-rounder Deepti Sharma in a senior women’s T20 tournament in India. Hurley Gala, 16, a right-arm pace sensation of Mumbai, has taken the Indian women’s domestic cricket by storm with her raw pace and point-blank accuracy. Hurley will be seen next in the U19 Women’s Challengers Trophy played in Goa from November 1 to November 7.

Female Cricket interviewed Hurley to unravel her fascinating sporting journey that started with skating and flourished with cricket. Known for her sheer speed and pinch-hitting abilities, she is one of the few players in the Indian women’s domestic circuit who can open the batting and bowling.

 

Excerpts

When did you start playing cricket?

It was quite accidentally that I started playing cricket. Skating was the first sport that I took up. We had to choose one sport in my school, Utpal Shanghvi Global School. At that time, I picked up skating. I started skating in my third standard. I was doing good and played the sport at the state level. However, I twisted my ankle during practice and was advised to rest for a year. Since I could not skate, I decided to try my hand at another sport. It was cricket. I started playing tennis ball tournaments that were organised in my building. I was doing well. My father saw my potential in playing cricket and soon enrolled me in a cricket academy. Ivan Rodrigues, the father of Indian player Jemimah Rodrigues, was my coach, and I practiced at his academy, Negev Cricket Academy. I was 12 years old when I first played with a leather ball. Within a year, I was selected for Mumbai U19 and made my debut for the senior team last year.

Was there girls’ cricket in your school?

There was no girls’ cricket in Utpal Shanghvi Global School, where I studied till the seventh standard. The sports teachers in the school knew that I played cricket. They asked me to form a girls’ team. However, the girls were not much interested in cricket. I decided to change my school for a better cricketing prospect. I moved to St. Columba at Grant Road. Every day I used to travel from Juhu to Grant Road for school. I played in MSSA (Mumbai School Sports Association) cricket tournaments for St. Columba. I have a hat trick to my name in one of the inter-school games. Though I took up cricket relatively late, I was always athletic and had the strength to play any sport.

How did your family react to your switch from skating to cricket?

I stay in a joint family with my grandparents, my uncle and his family, my parents, and my younger sister. While growing up, there was not much cricket being discussed or watched at home. However, from the day I started playing professional cricket, there was a paradigm shift in how cricket was perceived at home. Today, if you ask my grandmother the names of players in the Indian women’s cricket team, she will be able to tell you most of them. My father, who is into the business of internet broadband services, and my mother, a homemaker, have been very supportive. My father always wanted me to do something in sports and is happy that I am playing cricket professionally. First, my mother used to be at the helm of my training and related things when it was skating. Now with cricket, my father has taken the onus.

In 2021, in your debut series for the senior Mumbai team, you dismissed Indian players like Deepti Sharma in your first game and Shafali Verma in your second appearance. Can you tell us more about those prized wickets?

Honestly, I didn’t expect to pick up the wickets of Deepti Sharma and Shafali Verma. My plan was simple. I wanted to hit the right areas. Before the game, we had our strategies ready. Jemimah Rodrigues, the captain of Mumbai, who has played with Deepti and Shafali, knew their strengths and weaknesses. We bowled to the plan together as a team, and it worked wonders.

Who is your role model? What are the qualities that you admire in them?

I never had a role model. However, having played under the captainship of Jemimah Rodrigues for Mumbai, I look up to her for inspiration. I like the way she handles herself in a pressure situation. Also, I admire the way she leads the team by example. She makes every player in the team comfortable, puts her hand around them, and gives them confidence.

Which is your best performance to date?

Though I am recognized more for my bowling than my batting, I would reckon a couple of batting performances to be some of my best ones. During the U19 T20 tournament this year, I got a chance to bat at number three against Rajasthan. I was promoted up the order so that our team could use powerplay better. I scored 40 off 38 and also picked up four wickets. Then, in the same tournament, against Jharkhand in a must-win match, I opened the batting and muscled 45 not out off 22.

Were there any challenging situations in your cricketing journey so far?

Yes, just recently, when I was a part of the high-performance camp in Bangalore, I was unable to put a foot right. My bowling was going haywire as if consistency had become my foe. I had thoughts of giving up the sport. I used to talk to my parents every day. Every time I spoke to them, they asked me to not give up. It was only a matter of time before I could weather the storm.

Any special preparations for the Challengers trophy?

I have been practicing target bowling. Apart from this, I am working on my batting. I want to add high-percentage shots to my armory. I am known for my hard-hitting skills and want to hone them further.

What’s your daily routine at the moment?

I train at Negev Cricket Academy. I also go to MIG for some days to practice.

Next year the Women’s U19 World Cup will be played for the very first time. How excited are you about that? 

I am eagerly looking forward to the U19 World Cup that will be played next year in South Africa. I came to know about it just before the start of this season. I am sure that if I get a chance to represent India at the World Cup, there will be a lot of learning. Not only will I get international exposure, but I will also have the opportunity to play alongside the top players in the world.

Click here to read more such interesting stories