Return To Indian T20I Team Is What I Had Been Waiting For, Says GG’s Bharti Fulmali

Return to Indian T20I team is what I had been waiting for, says GG’s Bharti Fulmali (Image Source: IANS)

Sant Gajanan Cricket Academy: Seven years is a long time in cricket. For Bharti Fulmali, it felt even longer. The big-hitting middle-order batter from Amravati had made her India T20I debut against England in Guwahati in 2019. She impressed early by charging down the pitch to hit Laura Marsh for a boundary on her third ball in international cricket, but managed only 18 and 5 in two outings before being left out.

As the years rolled by, Bharti, who holds a job with the Income Tax Department, resigned herself to the fact that her international career might be over before it had truly begun. But on January 17, when the Gujarat Giants landed in Vadodara after wrapping up their Navi Mumbai leg of WPL 2026, the BCCI named Bharti in India’s squad for the T20I series in Australia in February, a development which took her by surprise.

"We just boarded the bus after landing in Vadodara, and that's when my teammates came and shouted behind me, 'Congratulations,' and then I got to know that this happened. I actually didn't even know before that such a team was to be announced or that I had been selected.

"I am feeling very good because this has come after a very long period of seven years. This is what I had been waiting for and has happened now. So, I am very grateful and this feels stupendous," Bharti recalled in an exclusive conversation with IANS, ahead of the franchise facing Delhi Capitals in a decisive clash on Tuesday.

The current version of Bharti, who will board the plane to Australia, is a vastly different player from the one who played briefly for India in 2019. Her national comeback has arrived on the back of exceptional performances in the ongoing WPL, where she has scored 111 runs in six innings at a blistering strike rate of 163.23 for GG.

Last season was equally impressive – 133 runs in four innings at 172.72 – a significant leap from her 2024 season's numbers of 64 runs at a strike-rate of 120.75. India, after unsuccessful trials with Kiran Navgire and Sajeevan Sajana, will bank on Bharti’s WPL form so that she can join Richa Ghosh as a reliable finisher ahead of this year’s T20 World Cup in England.

"There are a lot of changes now from what I played in 2019 to now. The role that the team has given me as a finisher; I try to contribute in that and how to finish the game and help my team to get into a good position. So, this is my priority," added Bharti.

This evolution didn't happen by accident. Bharti made a conscious decision to reinvent herself after recognising that the pathway back to international cricket required someone who has serious lower-order batting muscle.

"I also wanted to bat as a batter in the top order. But as I saw the lot of changes happening in cricket, I started to think on top of that – like what is the need? Like, if I want to play internationally, the WPL, and be at a higher level, then what is the need there? So, there mostly I saw middle-order and lower-order batters are needed.

"There, I saw the state team struggling a little. So, I decided from there that if I want to play, then this place will be perfect for me. I will have to work a little hard and there will be a little different skills, but I was okay to do all of that.

"I worked on that because you need power hitting there for the finisher – because you will only get 5 or 10 balls, you have to perform in that margin only and I started training in that way. It happened just 4-5 years ago, when I started to apply those changes to my role in the Vidarbha team," elaborated Bharti.

It’s no surprise that Bharti credits the WPL for her career resurgence. Unsold in the first WPL auction, she joined GG in 2024 as Harleen Deol’s injury replacement – a move that proved pivotal. "My cricket has transformed a lot after WPL came into the picture. It has played a very big role, and especially Gujarat Giants have a big role in it because they have given me an opportunity to play on this platform.

“They showed that confidence and gave me chances to play, and then I put out great performances. So, GG and WPL have a very big role in upping my game for the next level," she said.

Working with GG head coach Michael Klinger and batting coach Dan Marsh has proved crucial to her development as a power-hitter. "When I came here in the first year, I discussed with them about what I can and can't do. So, I went back to the ground level and practiced mostly hard hitting. I used to practice on center wickets and open grounds. I did a lot of match simulations because I have put a lot of emphasis on myself to get the team out of tough situations.

"Klinger also told me to practice against a tennis ball. It's like if you clear the boundary while batting against a tennis ball, then you will be able to play in the same way against the leather ball in a match. So, I practiced against that and did those drills, and I am getting the fruitful results now," added Bharti.

Her performances this season, after GG used her RTM card to get her for Rs 70 lakh, have included knocks that showcased her finishing abilities – 36 not out and 39 against Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru are evidence of it. In last year’s season, Bharti left everyone stunned by smashing her maiden WPL fifty, off just 22 balls, to give MI an almighty scare.

Her approach as a finisher and being unflustered comes from her admiration for the legendary MS Dhoni. "I have definitely imbibed a lot of qualities of him in myself because my natural nature is very calm. When I used to watch Dhoni sir play on TV, he used to come in the same situation as a finisher, just like how I am doing right now.

“He has played a very good role there and won us the ODI World Cup as a finisher by scoring a six. So, he inspires me a lot. I try to follow him a little bit and that's where all of this has come from," said Bharti.

That calmness under pressure by observing Dhoni has become Bharti’s trademark too. "That is handled well because I always focus on my process. I have put myself in these situations, even in practice sessions. Even when I play for the state, I play under the same pressure. Obviously, there is no crowd there.

"But if you think so much about the crowd and all these things, then you will not be able to play well. So, when you play, all these things get out of your mind. Your focus is on the ball and what you have to do is on you. So, thinking all these things helps things become a little easier when your focus is on that one thing - to play well."

Bharti’s support system starts at home in Amravati, where her father first introduced her to cricket. His pride in her achievements remains a driving force for her. "I started playing cricket because of him in my childhood. So, he is very happy and he feels very proud that our daughter is playing and performing at this big level. He feels really good on seeing me in action," she said.

Bharti stays connected to her roots in Amravati through regular talks with childhood coach Sandeep Gawande at Sant Gajanan Cricket Academy, while training at Nagpur Cricket Academy when away from home.

"Whenever I go to Amravati, I still go to that ground and practice. We have a very good bond. We talk to each other daily. If I have any doubts, we still talk on the phone. Their guidance is very important. He, my father and my family are the main pillars for me."

There's even a nickname that has stuck with Bharti by her friends from Amravati – ‘Lady Gayle’. It’s a moniker which reflects in the big-hitting prowess she has become known for now. "They still like calling me this a lot. Whenever I go to Amravati, they give me the centre wicket for practice.

“Before that, they used to tell me that we will bowl and you hit the ball for six. They would say, 'bas, tu maar (You just hit the ball).' They have encouraged me a lot. They have a lot of love for me and this is a way of expressing that. They have supported me a lot."

Seven years away from the national team setup taught Fulmali invaluable lessons about discipline and perseverance. "I have realised discipline is very important. I have worked with a lot of patience and discipline in the seven years I was away from the Indian team set-up.

“Your diet is very important, as are workouts on a regular basis. It is very important to practise all these things daily. I have maintained it and that's what is helping me," she said.

Seven years away from the national team setup taught Fulmali invaluable lessons about discipline and perseverance. "I have realised discipline is very important. I have worked with a lot of patience and discipline in the seven years I was away from the Indian team set-up.

Her advice to young cricketers stems from her own perseverance in the last seven years to get a chance at playing for India again. "I just want to say do what you like. As a woman, no doubt there are a lot of difficulties and challenges, but you have to face it. Don't look at it as a struggle, accept it as a challenge and learn from it. Do what you like, work hard and you will definitely get the result."

Article Source: IANS