Success hasn’t been easy for cricketing duo, who hail from humble backgrounds

India’s match against New Zealand in the ongoing ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup was a do-or-die affair. But two women from Karnataka, Veda Krishnamurthy and Rajeshwari Gayakwad, along with skipper Mithali Raj, chose to make the occasion their own.

Rajeshwari was adjudged the player of the match for her career-best figures of five for 15, while Veda scored a whirlwind 70 off 45 balls to ensure India’s passage into the semifinals. Brimming with confidence, India went on to upset defending champion Australia in the last four and now stands on the cusp of what can be its greatest triumph when it takes on England in Sunday’s final.

But success for the duo hasn’t come easy. Hailing from a humble background, Veda, as an 11-year-old, had to move to Bengaluru from Kadur (Chikkamagaluru district) and spend time away from her family to pursue cricket. It was no different for Rajeshwari, who had to shift from Vijayapura to follow through with her dreams.

“We had never imagined this [success],” says Vatsala, Veda’s 39-year-old sister, who has been a pillar of support.

“When she first went to KIOC [Karnataka Institute of Cricket], we knew nobody here. But the coach said on Day One that she would play for India. My father didn’t know what to do.”

“For nine months she was in Bengaluru without us. Then I moved to take care of her. Those were tough days. Still, my father ensured that there were no shortcomings. And, I have seen all along how hard she has worked. I am proud to have her as my sister.”

Irfan Sait, Veda’s coach at KIOC, recollects the 24-year-old as always being dynamic and hard-working.

“When she came here, I saw great potential,” he says. “She had good hand-eye coordination. I told her parents that she could be the next Karuna Jain [former India Test cricketer] and asked them to back her. Incidentally, at that exact moment, Karuna walked in and she too requested the parents to support her.”

“So good was she that when I was the State senior coach, I played her in the team only because of her fielding and catching. She was only 14 then. She had a background in karate and was extremely agile. We always knew she would be a top cricketer. Veda is only living up to it.”

Sitting in her humble home in Vijayapura, Savita, Rajeshwari’s mother, credits her late husband Shivananda Gayakwad, a government school headmaster, for the 26-year-old’s success.

“My husband had great passion for cricket as he used to play at the local level with his friends,” she says. “He encouraged his children to play as well. This made our two daughters Rameshwari and Rajeshwari take up cricket as their careers.”

“Those initial days were tough as we had to take care of the family expenses and cricket coaching expenses in our limited salary. Yet, he saw to it that the coaching didn’t get affected. If he were alive today, he would have been elated and would have celebrated the most just by looking at the success of our daughter.”

The joy is no less in BDE Society, the school where she studied and started playing cricket.

“We are so proud that a student of our school has made her name at the international level,” says H.D. Madar, one of the senior teachers at the school. “She has so far given her best performance and we pray she will continue that in the finals also.”