BENGALURU: Sometimes, all it takes to unlock talent is a spark. It can come from within or from someone willing to light it for you. For Akshita Bhagat, Palak Singh, Rohita Chowdry and Joshna Angel, the WPL Speed Queen initiative provided that spark.The four were among more than 13,000 aspirants who registered for the talent hunt. Around 7,500 made it to the trials before 56 finalists showcased their speed, strength and ambition at the finale in Mumbai earlier this year. Their performances have since opened another door.Having earned the opportunity to train under some of the best coaches and observe some of the finest cricketers at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, the four fast bowlers are now aiming higher. They are currently training under coach Krishna Kumar at CoE. TOI takes a look at the future India prospects…AKSHITA BHAGATThe first to make the big leap is Mohali teenager Akshita. The 19-year old was last month named in the India ‘A’ one-day squad for the upcoming home series against Australia ‘A’, a significant step in a journey that began with gully cricket.Akshita joined has represented Punjab in national age-group and senior domestic tournaments. She started out as a batter before switching to pace bowling and counts India captain Harmanpreet Kaur among her role models. For her, Speed Queen provided the exposure and belief to accelerate that journey.“There were a lot of learnings from the Speed Queen and the camp here has furthered that. The coaches worked on our tactics and basics. I learned what I can improve, what I need to work on and, more importantly, learnt the importance of hard work. Also, being around established players has allowed me to pick their brains,” said Akshita, a huge fan of former South African pacer Dale Steyn and Australian great Ellyse Perry.With a senior India camp now in her sights, Akshita feels the CoE experience has been defining. “I didn’t expect to come to the CoE so soon, where you get the best strength and conditioning facilities and coaches. When I started, the dream was to play for India, but I didn’t think I would take such a huge step towards it so soon,” she said.JOSHNA ANGELAt 15, Joshna is a pocket dynamo — petite and bubbly off the field, fierce and fast with a ball in hand. The Chennai teenager clocked 108 kmph during the trials. Her introduction to both the sport and bowling came from her father, R Jesuraj, a former Tamil Nadu medium pacer.Joshna took up cricket out of boredom during the Covid-19 lockdown. She is now dreaming big. “The Speed Queen program helped me gain confidence and get to know my strengths,” said Joshna, who has represented Tamil Nadu in the U-15 and U-19 categories.Her father remains one of her inspirations, along with England pacer Lauren Bell. The CoE camp, meanwhile, has opened her eyes to the demands of elite sport. “One of the key lessons has been how to stay focused and be sincere in maintaining the diet. There has also been a lot of emphasis on exercising, which has taught me a lot,” she said.Meeting India internationals Tilak Varma and Sanju Samson has been another highlight. As for the ultimate goal, there was no hesitation. “I want to play for India,” she declared boldly.
PALAK SINGHAthletics was Palak’s first calling. Cricket, however, was the sport her father chose for her. Three years after taking up the game, the 15-year old has already shown that she can generate serious pace. She clocked 108 kmph in the zonal trials and 106 kmph in the finale. Inspired by Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc, Palak is now learning to make the most of her height while understanding that pace is only one part of the equation.“Coming here is a big thing. It’s a very good opportunity and a valuable experience to train under some of the best coaches in the country. I have understood my bowling better, and I now know that a bowler should also have accuracy, consistency, swing and variations,” she said.Having cut her teeth in the state age group team, Palak now has a more immediate target: breaking into the India U-19 side. “From here, I will get a good pathway to play for India in the future. I am only 15, so I have the India U-19 team to look ahead to,” she said.ROHITA CHOWDRYRohita’s journey to pace bowling began on the track. A former heptathlete, the Bengaluru youngster took up cricket at her father’s insistence. Given her athleticism and natural speed, fast bowling was an obvious fit.The 24-year old has represented various Karnataka teams but was going through a difficult phase before the Speed Queen opportunity came her way. “I was going struggling to make my place in the senior Karnataka team. I was hesitant to even participate in the event. But because of it, I regained a lot of confidence; it came as a ray of hope,” said Rohita, who clocked 109 kmph in the initial round before touching 104 kmph in the finale.The CoE experience has since given that confidence another boost. “This is what dreams are made of. Bumping into international cricketers and learning from their process has been crucial. I’ve learnt that there is so much more to just bowling fast. There’s so much that goes into our nutrition, fitness training and running programmes,” she said.Rohita, who holds a degree in international relations, public policy and journalism, always had the backing of her parents. She draws inspiration from Jhulan Goswami’s longevity and says a conversation with CoE head of cricket VVS Laxman has been one of the highlights of the camp.
