Dad Couldn’t Play For India, He Sees That Dream In Me, Says GG’s Newest Recruit Samaira Raghav

Against South Delhi Superstarz:  Samaira Raghav was not supposed to be watching the Women’s Premier League (WPL) auction. Her parents had asked her to stay away from seeing live feed of the auction proceedings happening in Kochi last week. They feared the weight of hope would be too much for a 16-year-old to carry, in case she doesn't find any takers.

A day before the auction, Samaira was one of four late entries that took the WPL 2027 auction pool from 146 to 150 players. She learnt about it from an Instagram story, and then from her mother. “My mom quickly messaged me that, ‘I think you are in the auction list now,’” Samaira recalled in an exclusive conversation with IANS on Monday.

Five minutes before her name came up, she switched the feed on anyway at her hotel room in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, where she is currently playing the U19 Women’s T20 Challengers tournament, with her Team D room-mate.

“Then I saw my name and the Gujarat Giants paddle go up and I was just ecstatic. Both of us screamed at the top of our lungs in the hotel room. Then after that, it was just surreal,” she added. Gujarat Giants bought her at her base price of 10 lakh rupees. But for Samaira, it was the first public validation of a dream which began taking shape nine years ago.

Born on January 23, 2010, Samaira’s tryst with sports began with 100m and 200m sprints. “But my dad wanted me to try other sports as well because I was very sporty ever since I was young.”

At seven, her father Sunil Raghav took her to a cricket academy. The first session featured fielding, and it won over Samaira. “I just enjoyed it so much. After that day, I just kept going to the academy with my own free will. My dad kind of pushed me into cricket. But from there, I just took over.

Sunil played as a leg-spinner until college, before committing to studies, including pursuing an MBA from IIM Calcutta. Sunil later went on to scale technologies at Dow Chemicals, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories and Total (Arkema Global) in USA and India. “I think it was his wish for himself to play cricket at India level. But he could not fulfill it. So, he kind of sees it in me now and I am working on it,” said Samaira.

Samaira’s mother, Puja Jain, spent a decade at McKinsey & Company. She rose to partner and co-led its sustainability practice, as well as holds two US patents from research at Penn State University and Dow Chemicals. Today the couple run ElementRe, which specialises in end-to-end lithium-ion battery recycling solutions.

While Puja is the CEO, Sunil acts as CTO. In cricket, Samaira started out mainly as a batter. During the Covid-19 lockdown, batting was impossible in their housing society in Gurugram, so Sunil got time to develop her leg-spin skills. “We would just go down in our society and I would start bowling. He taught me the basics and from there, I kind of picked up my bowling skills from my dad.”

As Samaira grew, Sunil stepped back. “When I was a bit younger, I wasn't that independent. But after a few years, he let me be independent. I would go and come back by metro. Since then, he has been around. But he just leaves me on his own now.”

Samaira now trains under Dipti Dhyani, currently the head coach of Delhi's senior women's team, at the City Cricket Academy in Hauz Khas, which is affiliated to the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) and plays under the name Sonnet.

It was there that her role changed. As a child she opened the batting. But playing alongside the seniors, Samaira was pushed down the order. Her coaches had one piece of advice: if she gets batting late, she needs to hit sixes.

“They told me that I should probably develop the skill to hit sixes. So, from there, we started working on it. After that, I would just go and finish matches and everything. I would not feel that much pressure while doing it. That is why I just picked it from there and I really enjoy it,” she said.

She also saw where women’s cricket was rapidly going – more towards power-hitting and six-hitting skills. “In the earlier days, there was more of grounded cricket. But now, the game has changed.

“The formats have become shorter and everybody is focussing more on power hitting in sixes. I also thought I would also learn and go with whatever trend is going on. Then, I know it will help me in the future as well if I am hitting sixes.”

Her role models are two of India's best-known finishers: former captain MS Dhoni and wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh. “Obviously, there is MSD. Richa Ghosh – now, she is really amazing,” said Samaira.

The work showed this year in the Women's Delhi Premier League (DPL), where Samaira played for North Delhi Strikers. Against South Delhi Superstarz, Samaira’s 32 off 26 balls, with two fours and a six, helped her side win by two runs. Against East Delhi Riders, she made an unbeaten 34 off 21 balls and won the game with a six off the penultimate delivery.

“We took it till the end (against East Delhi). I just thought that I can't really lose from this point. I have to win this. I have come so far in this match. At that ball, I think our bowlers started coming in as batters. There were no more batters that could hit sixes.

“So, at that ball, I thought we needed a boundary anyhow. Then, I would go for a six only because if I ran a single, then we would probably lose the match. It’s because the last batter would not be able to hit a six. After that, I just went for it. Thankfully, it connected and then went for a six,” she recalled.

The pattern has led to Samaira being in good form. Playing for Delhi in the Under-19 Women's T20 Trophy, she scored 162 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 216. She was out only three times, while averaging 54, and hitting 14 fours and 12 sixes.

In the Under-19 Women's T20 Challenger Trophy, against Team A, Team D side was reeling at 27/3 after eight overs. Samaira came in and hit 78 off 44 balls, hitting six fours and as many sixes, and carried them to 137/6. Against Team B, chasing at more than 10 runs an over, she made an unbeaten 24 off 12 balls, with two fours and as many sixes.

In between, Samaira found time to attend two WPL trials - for Mumbai Indians in Mumbai and for Gujarat Giants in Bengaluru. offered only an open net session. Bengaluru was different. “At Mumbai Indians, we had an open net session. I could not really get a chance to talk to the coaches. Gujarat Giants, however, they really took notice of me and my six-hitting abilities there in the camp.

“All of them gave me really positive feedback and a few points to work on which I am working on now. They also took notice of my bowling there. So, the bowling coach, PT, Pravin (Tambe) sir, he really saw that I could also bowl and I had good potential to be a bowler as well. That's why I think now they've picked me. But it was amazing to be part of that camp,” she said.

Her fielding skills too were noticed by GG coaching staff. “We just had one match simulation. I think I stopped one or two boundaries. I don't know if it was that noticeable, but I gave my 100 percent.” People who watched her over two days of trials said she struck the ball as hard as anyone present, and that her fielding stood out as compared to other players.

Samaira credits the DDCA, and its president Rohan Jaitley, for helping women players get a noticeable platform via DPL. “I have been so grateful to DDCA, honestly. They have given us so many opportunities for youngsters to showcase their talent. Now WPL scouts are coming in to watch our games and then kids are getting selected.

“This time, I think 4-5 people from Delhi are in the WPL. It really makes a difference. So, I am really grateful to DDCA. Rohan Jaitley sir has made so many efforts for women to also be at the same level as men. Like, giving them the same opportunities, playing in the same field and I am really grateful to them. They have actually given us so much exposure.”

She knows how quickly praise can unsettle a young player. “I always think about my roots and where I have come from and where I am now. It really humbles me a lot. I think about those low times that I had when nobody was there except my family and my coaches. It really just makes me feel so much gratitude for everybody who has been there.”

Her parents, she says, are proud but rarely show it. “I think it’s because they don't show it to me because then they think that I will be really happy about it and not focus on other things. So, they just want to keep me grounded. That's why they just act normal.”

When nerves build, she dabbles in painting and drawing. Music calms her too - before every match, the last song she hears before stepping off the bus and playing a game has to be 52 Bars by Punjabi singer Karan Aujla.

The pure wisdom in young blood reflects in Samaira’s Instagram bio: “Love to play cricket.” Beneath it sits a line from the legendary Rahul Dravid – “You don’t play for revenge but play for respect and pride.”

Samaira’s next test may pull her away from the WPL, if she is picked for the Under-19 World Cup. But Samaira does not see a conflict, as it will be the first step towards fulfilling her father’s dream.

“If I also get to be in the U19 World Cup squad, it would actually be so amazing. I feel like I have a duty to my country if I get selected in the U19 World Cup. But right now, all I am thinking about is I just keep performing wherever I go and God will look after the rest.”

Samaira’s next test may pull her away from the WPL, if she is picked for the Under-19 World Cup. But Samaira does not see a conflict, as it will be the first step towards fulfilling her father’s dream.

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Article Source: IANS