Ellyse Perry, a cricket star who emerged at the age of 19 by winning the Player of the Final and leading Australia to their first-ever T20 World Cup title in 2010, is also enthusiastically embracing Indian culture. Known for her impressive bowling skills, she set a record in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) by claiming the first-ever 6-wicket haul, giving just 15 runs against the Mumbai Indians, and winning the Orange Cup with 347 runs in 2024.
In a recent podcast episode with her WPL franchise, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Ellyse Perry shared her experiences of exchanging culture, learning Hindi, and enjoying masala chai with teammates like RCB skipper Smriti Mandhana. “With the girls, I love learning random words in Hindi,” she admitted with a smile.
She humorously confessed to sometimes drinking too much chai and learning the right times to have it. Perry loves exploring local cafes wherever she travels in India, believing it’s a great way to understand each place’s vibe and uniqueness. She also shared a funny story about being persuaded to dance Bollywood-style on camera, showcasing her willingness to embrace new cultural experiences.
Turning back the pages to the 2010 T20 World Cup final, Perry recalled the tense last ball of the match against New Zealand. She humorously revealed how she ended up running Dirk Nannes’ run-up throughout the entire finale. Perry, yet to solidify her iconic stride as an all-rounder, was bowling the final over and had already claimed three crucial wickets: Suzie Bates, Amy Satterthwaite, and Nicola Browne.
Perry recounted a key moment in the match with New Zealand needing five runs off the last ball, where she bowled a half-volley to her current RCB teammate Sophie Devine, who hammered the ball strongly straight down the ground, as the ball was heading past Perry, she managed to stick a foot out, which resulted in the ball striking her foot and limiting the opposition to just one run.
Perry described the game as amazing, noting that it was a low-scoring affair with her team batting first and scoring just over 100 runs. Despite the modest total, they successfully defended it. She also shared her excitement about bowling the last over, describing the experience as really fun. This dramatic moment secured Australia’s victory, making them the champions of the world.
Perry mentioned, “We batted first and managed to score just above 100 and we managed to defend the total. I got the opportunity to bowl the last over and it was really fun.”
Perry added that she had an unusual experience during the game as she ended up using Dirk Nannes’ run-up instead of her own. The mix-up happened because the men’s final, featuring Australia against England, was played before their game in the West Indies. Since Nannes’ run-up was about 10 meters longer than hers, she found herself running a significantly longer distance to the pitch. This unexpected change made the game feel quite strange and left her feeling pretty exhausted by the end.
Perry referring to her mixed run-up said, “Actually I was running Dirk Nannes’ run-up the whole game because the men’s final was before us.”