The United States women’s cricket team produced one of their most competitive campaigns at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier, pushing deep into the tournament and keeping World Cup hopes alive right until the final stages in the Super Six. At the heart of this progress has been Aditiba Chudasama, the 19-year-old captain who has already become one of the USA’s most impactful all-round cricketers. Chudasama has appeared in 30 T20 Internationals, scoring 194 runs at a strike rate of 86, with a top score of 60*, and has taken 28 wickets at an average of 16.93 with an economy rate of 5.05, highlighting her dual value with bat and ball for the USA.
Though the USA ultimately fell short of qualifying for the Women’s T20 World Cup, their performance was marked by competitive cricket against strong associate and full-member sides, reflecting a team on the rise and a leader growing into her role with confidence. In an exclusive conversation with Vishal Yadav for Female Cricket, Chudasama spoke candidly about captaincy, criticism online, representing the USA, leadership inspirations, and what a World Cup qualification would mean for the program.
Excerpts
Q: Talking about your captaincy journey so far, Aditi, you were appointed captain in October ’24. How has leadership changed you as a cricketer and as a person?
Aditiba Chudasama: I used to captain a lot domestically, and you know, I always enjoyed leadership because I felt like it brought the best out of me as a cricketer. But now being captain in an international setup is definitely a little bit different. The responsibility and the stakes are a lot higher. But I still feel the same way. I really love the energy that it brings out in me, and I feel like the girls are really comfortable with me as well. I think I’ve grown a lot as a person in terms of ownership and responsibility, but also because I really enjoy taking that responsibility. So, I’m pretty happy to have this opportunity.
Q: When at the age of 18 you became the youngest captain to lead your nation in Women’s ODIs, did you feel ready or did you just grow into this role? Are you still growing?
Aditiba Chudasama: I kind of grew into it when I was appointed captain. It definitely came as a bit of a surprise, but again, like I said, I really enjoy leadership. I’d been doing it for a long time, and even when Sindhu (Sriharsha, former captain) was in the setup, I used to learn a lot from her and really looked up to her as a leader. So, I think I took the opportunity to grow into it. Obviously, it wasn’t easy. I was pretty young, and I still am pretty young, but I think I have so many great role models around me.
Q: There’s been a lot of talk and chatter on social media; I’m sure you must have also seen it. There has been slight criticism and trolling about the way the team looks, South Asian rather than American. How did you overcome that phase and did anything of that sort of haunt you for a while?
Aditiba Chudasama: I think most of the girls have been used to it for a long time and we laugh at it now. I think America is known for being diverse and you know that’s kind of what it’s about. So many different cultures, so many different races and ethnicities and I think that’s what USA’s about and I think we’ve shown that. I don’t think it’s a matter of being South Asian. All of us are American so I think we’re all just glad to represent the country.
Q: What does representing the USA truly mean to you?
Aditiba Chudasama: I know a lot of people say that we’re India B and stuff but I think all of us have learned our cricket in truly the grassroots level of USA and I think we owe all of that to America and so I think to bring that into a global stage and show everyone that USA is capable of producing this kind of talent, I think, that’s really important to us and representing that on the field is what we want to do.
Q: In one of the interviews, I read that Virat Kohli has been one of your early idols. How did or how do you channel that intensity under pressure?
Aditiba Chudasama: As I said, I really love leadership. Ever since I was a little kid, I think there was a test series that Virat Kohli captained against England and Australia. I loved the aggression; I loved the way that he brought the team together, and honestly, that’s kind of what I’ve been going for when I captain. I love that competition, like the energy, and I hope to bring that onto the field. There have been clips of me celebrating in the 2023 Under-19 World Cup. I took a lot of inspiration from him, and even so like I do take inspiration from him now.
Q: Now having reached Global Qualifiers multiple times, consistently in fact since 2019, what would World Cup qualification finally mean for this team?
Aditiba Chudasama: That would mean a lot. I don’t think words could actually explain how it feels to even get this far and I think a World Cup qualification could mean so many things, just not for u,s but for all the girls playing back home, for the grassroots level and the domestic tournaments. I think the funds that we would get, I think everything there’s just so much that could happen for the betterment of USA Cricket and the girls playing back home.
Q: If you qualify, what would this mean to play a World Cup against the likes of Australia, England, India?
Aditiba Chudasama: I think all of us, when you’re little and before you even debut for your country, you think about playing these greats, and I think it’s unreal, like I said. I think that would mean a lot for us. I think we would mature and grow so much as cricketers, even just playing against them. There’s so much to learn from them. So, we all look forward to it.
Q: Aditi, if a young girl is watching you and the entire team from the USA, what message would you want her to take away?
Aditiba Chudasama: I would tell her to dare to dream and be brave because that’s what we came into this tournament. Nobody expected us to win a game but now we’re one win away from a World Cup qualification. Anything can happen if you keep persevering and putting in the work. So, I would just say be brave and dare to dream.
Q: What do you think makes the WPL such an important landmark tournament for women’s cricket globally?
Aditiba Chudasama: I think it’s just the amount of attention it draws. These teams have such a big fan base that it brings a lot of attention to the talent that women’s cricket has. I think so many more people tune in, and I think it’s really important to see women play this really aggressive brand of cricket that a lot of times female cricketers get criticized for. So, I think it’s really turning over a new leaf in the type of brand of cricket that women play.
Q: As a young captain from an associate nation, you must also aspire to play in the WPL. What would be your message to the WPL franchises, because there have been talks about expanding the teams in the future? What would be your message to the franchise owners?
Aditiba Chudasama: I think, definitely increasing the associate cricket count. I think getting more players from the associate countries in, giving them a chance to showcase their talent, because I think there’s so, so much talent in these associate countries. They’re really talented. We already see so many players from Scotland and Ireland, and I think there’s so much more talent beyond that. So, I think getting more exposure for the associate countries is really important.
Q: Aditi, with the USA men’s team set to play the World Cup next month, what message or best wishes do you have for them?
Aditiba Chudasama: I know some of them from back home and from New Jersey, so I think it’s so important to give everything you put out there. You know, make us proud, make the entire country proud.
Despite the USA falling short of World Cup qualification, Aditiba Chudasama’s leadership and all-around performances stood out as one of the clearest indicators of how far the program has come. At just 19, she has already captained her country, led them to wins, and carried herself with a maturity that goes beyond her years. Most notably, she led the team to their maiden ODI win, a moment she described as “so historical… It made a statement to other countries around the world.”
Her words reflect a team that believes in its ability to compete on the global stage. For USA women’s cricket, this campaign was not an ending, but a statement of intent, and Chudasama remains firmly at the center of what promises to be an exciting next chapter.
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