Irfan Pathan: India fast bowler Nandni Sharma has identified Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah as the biggest influences on her bowling, saying she closely follows their control, variations and approach to the game as she continues her development.
Speaking about the role models who have guided her career, Nandni also explained why she remained committed to pace bowling despite briefly considering a switch to spin and how competing alongside boys accelerated her growth.
Sharing the names she draws inspiration from, Nandni said she has admired Indian fast bowlers since childhood and has also taken lessons from one of the world's leading women's seamers.
“I grew up watching Irfan Pathan sir bowl. The way he swung the ball and took wickets, that really made me want to do the same. Currently, I look up to Bhuvneshwar bhaiya and Bumrah paaji. The way they bowl with control and variations is something I try to learn from. In women's cricket, I am a huge fan of Marizanne Kapp. She bowls with pace, hits the right areas, and always gives her best. Watching her inspires me to keep pushing myself,” Nandni told JioStar.
Nandni revealed that her passion for fast bowling was strengthened by training almost exclusively with boys during her early years, a challenge that forced her to improve every aspect of her game.
"The moment I started bowling; the coaches pushed me to play with the boys. I was the only girl among them. But that never stopped me. I played with them every single day. All our fielding sessions, batting practice, and bowling, everything used to happen with the boys, and that helped me improve quickly. They bowled fast, they hit the ball hard, and I had to raise my game to keep up. Fast bowling attracted me a lot at that time. Watching boys run in and bowl with pace felt really good. I wanted to do the same. That is the only reason I wanted to do fast bowling at that time,” she added.
The young pacer admitted there were moments when she questioned whether remaining a fast bowler was the right decision, particularly because of the physical demands associated with the role, and added that her performances with the ball ultimately convinced her to continue pursuing pace bowling.
"The moment I started bowling; the coaches pushed me to play with the boys. I was the only girl among them. But that never stopped me. I played with them every single day. All our fielding sessions, batting practice, and bowling, everything used to happen with the boys, and that helped me improve quickly. They bowled fast, they hit the ball hard, and I had to raise my game to keep up. Fast bowling attracted me a lot at that time. Watching boys run in and bowl with pace felt really good. I wanted to do the same. That is the only reason I wanted to do fast bowling at that time,” she added.
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“Fast bowling is very difficult. Injuries happen often. You must stay extra fit and take more care of your body. I used to think, should I change, should I try spin bowling? But then I would see myself succeeding with pace, and the thought of switching to spin would fade away. Wickets kept coming, and that gave me confidence,” she said.