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Shobhana Asha (Source-Twitter)
Royal Challengers Bangalore and Smriti Mandhana cut a happy figure on Saturday. After a horrendous 2023 season, the RCB team began the new season in style. The home team won their opening game of WPL 2024 season by 2 runs against UP Warriorz.
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The star of the show was Shobhana Asha the 32-year-old leg-spin bowler. With figures of 5/22 she regaled the crowd and created history. Asha became the first ever Indian bowler to pick a fifer in WPL history.
Her wickets on Saturday night included star international players like Tahlia McGrath and Grace Harris. At one stage it looked like UP was set to win the game with ease when the 2nd time-out was taken.
Shobhana Asha – RCB’s unlikely hero
Smriti Mandhana was looking for a hero with UP needing 32 runs from 24 balls. Shobhana Asha stepped up and got three wickets. Shweta Sehrawat was the first to go for 31 followed by Grace Harris for 38. Kiran Navgire who is known for her big hitting skills was out for 1 run.
Shobhana Asha is a veteran and has been around the Indian domestic circuit for a long. The 32-year-old will turn a year old on 16th March. Asha plays for Kerala and has been with the RCB’s women's team since last year.
Yuzvendra Chahal was happy with the performance of the veteran bowler on Saturday. The 33-year-old Indian bowler took to Twitter and expressed his joy at the win. The leg-spinner plays for Railways in the domestic circuit.
Former India spinner turned commentator L Sivaramakrishnan has worked with her. This was the turning point for Asha who impressed the RCB team management. The team paid INR 10 Lakhs for her during the inaugural WPL 2023 Auctions.
At the end of the game, the spin bowler said “Bowling with control is one of my assets. Grace was going against the turn and I knew if I pulled the length back and slowed it up, she might go across the line and get a top edge or get bowled. I was ready to get smashed but I was sure to get her out”.
That self-belief and RCB’s backing has proved right with her amazing game-changing spell. Indian bowling has another feather to its cap and after toiling in the domestic scene for a decade, perhaps Asha’s time has finally come.