How calmness helped Radha Yadav land a spot in India�s Women�s T20 WC squad

New Delhi, Sep 25 (IANS) In a video posted on the Women’s Premier League ‘X’ account in March, Jemimah Rodrigues revealed left-arm spinner Radha Yadav had her YouTube viewing history filled with ‘Virat Kohli aggression videos’

“One has to be a little pumped up, and he’s my idol. So, I always see him before every match and see the passion he plays with in the field. I can really relate to him a lot and that’s why I see those videos,” said Radha at that time.

Now, with less than 10 days for the Women’s T20 World Cup to begin in the UAE, dressed in a white shirt and black jeans, Radha is all smiles on the sidelines of an ad shoot for Qua Clothing, whose collection she says, speaks to her style – simple yet bold.

“Fashion, for me, is about feeling empowered. When I wear something that makes me feel good, I carry that confidence with me, whether it’s on the field or in life. This association feels natural because their clothes give me the freedom to move, to feel comfortable, and to still look stylish, no matter the occasion.”

A tattoo on her right forearm, featuring a rose and compass, catches immediate attention. Radha chooses not to share the meaning behind the tattoo, stating her immense interest in sporting one led her to get it done. Radha’s build-up to the Women’s T20 World Cup didn’t have a smooth start as she had to be rescued by NDRF during floods in Vadodara, Gujarat in late August.

“It rained for two-three days actually. There was a lot of water in the dam and then they opened up the gates. Due to that, 60% of the city was in water – I am not sure if it was more or less. But all of these things happened, and moreover the drinking water was over.”

“We were collecting rain water in our buckets. Due to difficulties caused by these situations, we were just having one sip of water in every two-three hours. We didn’t even eat anything as there was no water in the washroom. The situation was such that there was no water despite so much of it being around, whether it was at home or outside of it,” says Radha in an exclusive conversation with IANS.

So far, 2024 has been a fruitful year for Radha – picking ten wickets in nine games at an economy rate of 7.48 for Delhi Capitals in second season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), where they finished runners-up.

Those exploits led to her being selected for the Indian team after almost a year, for the T20I tour of Bangladesh in April-May. She continued to showcase her skills in subsequent home series against South Africa and the Women’s Asia Cup in July.

Now, she’s all set to play her fourth Women’s T20 World Cup in the UAE. “It was very good (on coming back to Indian team this year). Like, I always say, my only job is to work hard and do it with honesty – like training, winning, and everything else are the by-products. So that’s what I keep in mind all the time,” she adds.

Radha’s performances in the 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup were lacklustre, picking only three wickets in four games. She then had a disappointing time in the inaugural WPL, taking only four wickets in nine matches for the Capitals. The emergence of spinners like Saika Ishaque and Shreyanka Patil in WPL led to Radha being left out of the Indian team.

In her path to get back into national reckoning, Radha discovered the solution laid in to embrace calmness and controlling her aggression. “I thought a lot about what was going on. I was doing things in a hurried pace. My support system, especially the friends, told me to take some time, and bring in that calmness.”

“Our (head) coach Amol (Muzumdar) sir also says that controlled aggression is very important. So that was the thing which I figured out somehow, and that came out on its own. I have now kept some bit of aggression aside and brought a lot of calmness in the game. This change has helped me a lot.”

Besides bringing in calmness, Radha has also embraced a mindset of living in the present and not worrying too much about the future. “My friends were saying that you are so much into cricket that don’t know how to enjoy life. Like, you have to go out sometimes, not always or go on a drive.”

“I used to feel that cricket is the only thing that I have in life that keeps it full. So I have eased out on this front, like I now think that cricket is just a part and life is way bigger than it. I have now understood that point and it has also helped me.”

The impact of these changes in Radha’s approach was evident in her performances during WPL 2024. She displayed increased confidence and precision in her bowling, while maintaining her trademark exuberance when celebrating wickets - like when taking an impressive 4-20 against UP Warriorz in Bengaluru.

Radha’s bowling strategy before WPL 2024 primarily revolved around targeting the stumps, which made her ball deliveries more predictable. However, during the tournament, she bowled wider lines and occasionally bowled slower through the air to take wickets.

Upon returning to the Indian team, Radha continued to implement this approach, and she credits this shift to the strategies plotted in team meetings. “Changing a little bit of lines is as per the team plan, as every batter is different. For certain batters, it is needed to bowl more at the stumps, while sometimes bowling wide or fuller is required. So, the team plan becomes to bowl as per that.”

The experiences of learning from foreign players during two WPL seasons have enriched Radha’s time of playing in DC colours. “To learn about their culture, how they go about playing their games, the mindset around it, as well as talking and asking about that - all these things have helped a lot. We also felt that after learning a lot of things from them, you may make a mistake, but how to make a comeback from it is the important thing.”

Observing Meg Lanning made Radha’s quest to embrace calmness easier. “Meg is very calm under pressure. She understands very quickly how things are going to happen and what is the next step. She has been playing for so many years and that’s how she’s got that intricate understanding of what will happen next, what is my next option which can be tried.”Radha commends the excellent camaraderie within the Indian spin bowling group, which includes herself, Shreyanka, Deepti Sharma, and Asha Sobhana, as India expects them to play a crucial role in their matches at Dubai and Sharjah during the T20 World Cup.“Even before the WPL happened, we have had played together in domestic cricket. It is not that difficult for us and we enjoy a lot. We keep telling each other how to do this in certain conditions or how to bowl against a certain batter. So, we talk a lot about our planning against teams.”Outside of cricket, Radha calls herself as a very easy-going person and cannot understand how she’s able to talk so much right now in this interview with IANS. “Sometimes I play FIFA. I like going to cafes a lot with the friends and sometimes have a coffee. Normal americano coffee without sugar is my favourite.”Radha’s performances improved as she accessed a state of calmness and tranquillity, giving her a ticket to playing for India in the T20 World Cup. This tranquil and improved version of Radha, who strongly believes in an imminent World Cup triumph, can bring great benefits to Indian team in their quest to win the trophy on October 20 in Dubai.

“We believe that a big trophy is not far away from us, because the more fans support, the better we will go on that right path to get it. I wish the fans’ prayers always stay with our team, and not just with me, because irrespective of whether I am there or not, the team has to keep winning. So, thank you so much to fans and I want them to keep supporting women’s cricket like how they are doing. We will bring something for the fans.”