Gen Next sets the pace: Four young women fast bowlers eye India selection after 13,000 talent hunt

BENGALURU: Sometimes all it takes is a spark to unlock talent. It can come from within or from someone who is willing to ignite it for you. For Akshita Bhagat, Palak Singh, Rohit Chowdry and Joshna Angel, the WPL Speed ​​Queen initiative provided that spark.The four were among more than 13,000 applicants 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 finals in Mumbai earlier this year. Their performance has since opened more doors.Having got the opportunity to train under the best coaches and observe some of the best cricketers at the BCCI Center of Excellence, the four fast bowlers are now aiming higher. They are currently training under coach Krishna Kumar at the CoE. TOI looks at India’s future prospects…Akshita BhagatThe first to take 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 major step in a journey that began with gully cricket.Akshita, who joined, represented Punjab in national age group and senior domestic tournaments. She started out as a batsman before switching to speed bowling, and her role models include Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur. Speed ​​Queen provided the exposure and belief for her to accelerate this journey.“We learned a lot from Speed ​​Queen and the camp here supported it. The coaches worked on our tactics and fundamentals. I learned what I can improve, what I need to work on and more importantly, I learned the importance of hard work. Being among the established players also allowed me to pick their brains,” said Akshita, a big fan of former South African pacer Dale Ellis Perry and the great Australian.Akshita now has her sights set on a senior camp in India and feels the CoE experience was defining. “I didn’t expect to come to CoE so soon where you have 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 big step so soon,” she said.JOSHNA ANGELAt 15, Joshna is a pocket dynamo – petite and spirited off the field, fierce and fast with the ball in hand. The teenager from Chennai clocked 108 kmph during the trials. She was introduced to sports and bowling by her father R Jesuraj, a former Tamil Nadu medium pacer.Joshna took up cricket out of boredom during the Covid-19 lockdown. Now he dreams big. “The Speed ​​Queen program helped me gain confidence and 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 English pacer Lauren Bell. Meanwhile, the CoE camp opened her eyes to the demands of elite sport. “One of the key lessons was how to stay focused and honest about dieting. There was also a big emphasis on exercise, which taught me a lot,” she said.Another highlight was the encounter between Indian internationals Tilak Varma and Sanju Samson. 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. But cricket was the sport her father chose for her. Three years into the game, the 15-year-old has already shown she can generate serious pace. It reached a speed of 108 km/h in the zone tests and 106 km/h in the final. Inspired by Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc, Palak is now learning to make the most of his 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 understood my bowling better and now I know that a bowler should also have accuracy, consistency, swing and variation,” she said.Having cut her teeth in the national age-group team, Palak now has a more immediate goal: breaking into the India U-19 side. “From there I will get a good path to play for India in future. I am only 15 so I have the India Under-19 team ahead of me,” she said.ROHITA CHOWDRYRohit’s journey to speed bowling started on the track. The former heptathlete from Bengaluru started playing cricket on her father’s insistence. Given her athleticism and natural speed, fast bowling was an obvious fit.The 24-year-old represented various Karnataka teams but was going through a tough phase before the Speed ​​Queen opportunity came her way. “I was trying to make my place in the Karnataka senior team. I was hesitant to even participate in this event. But it has given me a lot of confidence again; it has come as a ray of hope,” said Rohita, who clocked 109 km/h in the opening round and touched 104 km/h in the final.The experience of the Council of Europe since then has given further support to this confidence. “This is what dreams are made of. Coming across international cricketers and learning from their process was essential. I learned that there is so much more to just bowling fast. There is so much that goes into our nutrition, fitness training and running programmes,” she said.A graduate in International Relations, Public Policy and Journalism, Rohita has always had the support of her parents. Taking inspiration from Jhulan Goswami’s longevity, he says the interview with CoE head of cricket VVS Laxman was one of the highlights of the camp.