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The year 2023 has been a landmark one for Shweta Sehrawat. Not too many players are blessed with massive opportunities one after another at the rate at which they've come the Delhi batter's way this year.
To her credit, she has maximized those chances to the fullest as well to leave her a much better player than she was at the dawn of the calendar year.
It's not necessarily in terms of a bucketful of runs - something which the right-handed opener was used to at the inaugural ICC Women's U19 T20 World Cup in South Africa - but the experiences that have come with the journey to mold her for the challenges ahead.
The leading run-getter at the U19 World Cup, a member of the UP Warriorz (UPW) set up at the inaugural Women's Premier League (WPL), and the captain of the India A side that clinched the Emerging Asia Cup in Hong Kong - that's a pretty impressive CV for a 19-year old batter touted as a star in the making!
On a pleasant Bengaluru afternoon where she's busy going through the drills as part of a camp with her WPL franchise, Sehrawat acknowledges the surreal ride so far in an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda:
"It’s amazing to be the highest scorer in the World Cup. The best part was getting the cup for India. It’s a really great feeling. It’s awesome – I can’t explain it in words. It was wonderful. And leading the team in the Emerging Asia Cup was a great experience for me."
An early tryst with leadership
The debate about whether leaders are born or made is completely subjective. One can look up countless examples of successful leaders and draw conclusions on the basis of numerous factors - from the win percentage number and an overflowing trophy cabinet to sheer judgment of how he or she shows the way on the field.
In Sehrawat's case, it's way too premature to think along any of these lines. But the fact that she has had a taste of captaincy this early in her career augurs outstandingly well for her development as a player.
"As a player you develop when you lead. Because you have to take the team along with you, you have to note the behavior of all the players, how you get the best performance out of them on the field, all that matters a lot. So that helps in understanding your teammates a lot better," Sehrawat said.
Sehrawat led the Indian U19 outfit in the build-up to the World Cup in South Africa. She eventually deputized for Shafali Verma, with the seasoned Indian opener appointed the skipper for the event. But Sehrawat's early leadership experience was not to be swept under the carpet as she was tasked with leading India A at the Emerging Asia Cup.
An instant challenge came her way with the weather dominating proceedings in Hong Kong, resulting in the Indian team playing just two matches. How did Sehrawat the captain galvanize the team in the midst of evident frustration?
"It was actually a little frustrating. Whenever we’d go to the ground it would rain. Everyone was keen to showcase their talent in as many matches as possible. So it was frustrating but we kept playing games and had team bonding sessions so that everyone would stay on the same page and win the cup. So that’s how we were prepared by the time the finals came by," she explained.
The team that was sent to Hong Kong for the Emerging Asia Cup featured a number of players who were a part of the winning team at the U19 World Cup. The camaraderie there eased Sehrawat into the job despite not being able to take the field too often.
"It definitely helped us. Our bonding has been for one year so we’ve been playing a lot together. So that definitely helped. There were some new players too and initially it took some time to know them but we adjusted in the camp and it didn’t take much time to gel with them. Our understanding was so good already and we were able to get the cup," Sehrawat added.
The art of an enterprising batting range ft. Shweta Sehrawat
Sehrawat made heads turn at the U19 T20 World Cup in January this year. Topping the charts with 297 at an average of 99 and a strike rate of 139.43, she cast herself as a potential flagbearer of India's batting lineup in the years to come.
It wasn't just the volume of runs that stood out though. An interesting range of shots around the wicket coupled with an uncanny ability to manipulate the field illustrated a batter who had plenty of shots in her repertoire to turn to.
The funda behind this is a very simple one though.
"As a batter you think of just one thing which is to find the gap as much as you can.", says Sehrawat. "Sometimes you do it with timing and sometimes with power. Whatever works at that time, I look to continue in that flow. That’s what stays in my mind – to find the gap, how to build an innings and score maximum runs in a particular over, these calculations."
While opening the batting is a role she has often donned, Sehrawat isn't averse to moving down to cater to the team's requirements either.
"I am open to anything. Wherever the team requires me to bat, it’s my duty to perform for the team. I am actually used to these situations – even in the practice matches I bat down the order and not just as an opener. It is better – you need to know to bat down the order as well. Sometimes when you open you might have to chase a lot of runs. So these things help in that way," Sehrawat stated.
From nerves to fruitful experiences, Shweta Sehrawat looks back at the WPL
The Women's Premier League was viewed as a landmark moment in the country and the women's franchise landscape. It was a no-brainer that Sehrawat's exploits at the U19 T20 World Cup fetched her a gig for the first time of asking with the Warriorz.
What it did was give her the surreal experience of having partnered with two swashbuckling power-hitters up top - Shafali at the World Cup and then Australian superstar Alyssa Healy, her WPL captain.
"Both were very different experiences. Shafali was almost our age and coming from India, it was easier to communicate with her. With Healy, it was initially slightly difficult to communicate but as we got to know each other it became better," Sehrawat averred.
The WPL was expectedly a different kettle of fish with international stars of pedigree and repute raising the bar even higher. Sehrawat endured a tough time with the bat and was also left out of the playing XI at one stage.
The experience, however, is one that has only enriched her for the endeavors ahead even as she's honest about a few initial jitters.
"I was quite nervous since it was my first WPL. I didn’t feel I would be this nervous but it happens, it’s a part of the game. It’s alright – it was a learning for me as to how to play in front of packed crowds, how to communicate with the overseas players and seek solutions from them on how to play going forward since they’ve got a lot of experience. They’ve played the World Cup, Big Bash League etc. I got to learn a lot from their experiences," she elaborated.
Rubbing shoulders with the senior pros aside, playing in front of packed houses was fulfilling for Sehrawat.
"To be honest, there were a few butterflies in my stomach initially. But it was a really good experience to see so many people support women’s cricket. In majority of the matches the stadium was full and that felt really nice to see," says Sehrawat.
There's no denying that the year 2023 has been a rollercoaster ride for Sehrawat. As she enters the final lap of the calendar year with the women's domestic season commencing with the Senior Women's T20 Trophy, the processes that have shaped this budding talent remain the key to ensuring she sparkles and continues striking the right chords.
Big achievements lie ahead for this precocious yet mature young batter. From experiencing butterflies in her stomach in front of boisterous crowds, it should not come as a surprise if chants of 'Shweta! Shweta!' reverberate amongst them in due course of time.
