The cricket globe is in continuous pursuit of serving inspiring stories that give so many lessons to everyone following the sport. One such fairytale is that of an emerging all-rounder Kashvee Gautam, who, after battling a serious injury setback, has made a remarkable turnaround.
With sheer brilliance and dedication, Kashvee has scripted a comeback showcasing her brilliance with the ball. Now, as she delivers magnificent spells, thousands of fans in India and beyond are hooked to the TV sets to see the cricketer rattle the stumps of the batters.
Kashvee shared that her ability to swing the ball inwards had always been strong. She believes that her bowling pace has improved, recently touching around 110 kmph. Her swing has become sharper, and she now hits the deck hard while bowling, unlike before when she used to float the ball. She also emphasized that the more one watches cricket, the more they learn.
Women’s Premier League franchise, Gujarat Giants roped in Kashvee for INR 2 crore, making her the most expensive uncapped player at the 2024 WPL auction. Her debut was postponed when she suffered a fracture to her landing foot’s fifth metatarsal in December 2023.
“My foot was in a plaster for six to seven weeks. Then, I had to walk on crutches. My rehab started slowly, a bit later because the bone wasn’t healing quickly. First it was batting. Then, I started jogging. Bowling came last.”
“Initially, it was tough to keep her motivated when it was confirmed that she would miss WPL,” Kashvee’s coach Nagesh Gupta recalled. “But she soon realised that she would have to fight with the injury in order to get better.”
After being out of cricketing competitive action for approximately 10 months, Kashvee made the most of the incubation period by honing and learning valuable insights, which are now paying off.
The fast bowler acknowledged that although the recovery period was toiling and impatient, it was a valuable learning curve. During that time period, the 21-year-old focused on various aspects, including her mental peace, which is now proving beneficial on the field.
The challenging days taught her the importance of mental resilience. Gautam highlighted that mental health plays a crucial role at every stage, stating that unless the mind is in the right frame of mind, athletes would fail in expressing themselves to the fullest.
During the recovery period, Kashvee had a close-knit circle of people who stood by her. Her family and wellness coach Sanjeevan played an instrumental role in ensuring she never felt lonely on the road to journey. Their unwavering support made her injury seem less demanding.
However, amongst all, one individual who remained a constant source of strength was her friend, Kanika Ahuja, whose valuable presence made a significant difference.
Unfortunately, a stress fracture in the back for Kanika also prevented her from participating in the 2024 WPL campaign – where she was backed by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Despite the fact that both were unable to play competitive cricket due to the unforeseen ailments, the old buddies made vows to stand tall in times of adversity.
“My bond with her (Kanika) goes way back to when I started playing in Punjab about seven years back. Whenever we meet, it doesn’t feel like we are seeing each other after a long time,” Kashvee said.
“Our respective teams would train, and we would sit together and collectively get that feeling of missing out, but we didn’t have a choice. We supported each other during that phase. Even when we went home, we would make it a point to call each other at least once a week. Sometimes we would even complain to each other about the time our injuries were taking to heal.”
Kashvee’s recent outing was in the Senior Women’s ODI Challenger Trophy, where her team eventually finished as winners on the podium.
Recalling her experience in domestic outings, she mentioned that the flat pitch in Chennai provided valuable lessons into her bowling style and approach, which she has since put to good application. Her supreme goal in the tournament was to keep her economy rate under control, a target she handsomely met.
She finished with the third-best economy rate of 3.85 in the ODI Challenger. Carrying that momentum into the ongoing third season of the WPL, she currently holds the third-best economy rate at 5.77. Additionally, she delivered a standout performance against UP Warriorz, recording the second-best economy in a single match at 3.75 runs per over. In 3 games, Kashvee has picked 3 wickets.
Kashvee shared that playing the blockbuster WPL has been a valuable experience for her- but it also comes with some nervousness. Competing in front of massive crowds for the first time was initially overwhelming, but she feels it is becoming easier with each game.
(Quotes sourced from Sportstar – The Hindu)
Loves all things female cricket
