WPL 2026: 'This Is Just A New Beginning' - How Rajeshwari Gayakwad Silenced The Doubters

WPL 2026: 'This is just a new beginning' - How Rajeshwari Gayakwad silenced the doubters (Image Source: IANS)

How Rajeshwari Gayakwad: On the eve of Gujarat Giants second appearance in a Women's Premier League (WPL) Eliminator at the BCA Stadium in Kotambi, Vadodara, Rajeshwari Gayakwad exudes a quiet confidence that belies the tumultuous journey that brought her to this juncture.

At 34, left-arm spinner Gayakwad is having her best WPL season – 10 wickets coming in seven games at an average of 14.50 and economy rate of 7.63. "Nothing much is going on. All we have in mind is to play well at any cost and win tomorrow's match. Simply, that's it. I have that confidence in myself and in my team as well. This time, I feel we will play in the finals.

“We have the confidence to play in the finals, but winning tomorrow's match is very important for us. All we have in our mind is to play well and win tomorrow's match. We will surely play in the finals for the first time, which is going to be a very happy moment. But we will play with confidence tomorrow," Gayakwad told IANS in an exclusive conversation on Monday.

For Gujarat Giants, reaching the final for the first time would be historic. But for Rajeshwari, it would be validation of the hard work done in the last 12 months. She didn’t perform well in the last three seasons for her previous team UP Warriorz, but this season she’s leading the spin bowling attack for GG.

With her wide of the crease deliveries and subtle changes in flight and loop trapping batters on spin-friendly pitches in Vadodara. The secret behind her good showings, as per Rajeshwari, has been the improved fitness work, especially after undergoing a knee surgery in September 2024.

"I got a lot of break from cricket. Since I was in rehab, I was trying to be mentally and physically fit. I have worked a lot on myself. I have given myself a lot of time. I have tried to work on my weaknesses. I have been wanting to play WPL for a year and this is a big break for a player.

“I have learnt a lot from this break and got time to implement it. I have always tried to give my best and do well whenever I get a chance to bowl. No matter what happens, I always try to do my best to make the team win," she explained.

The injury layoff, while devastating at that time, proved to be an unexpected blessing. Away from the intensity of competition, Rajeshwari had the luxury of time to rebuild her fitness, reassess her game, and work on technical refinements that would have been difficult to implement mid-season.

"When I just came back from rehab, I didn't get a chance to play that many matches last year. I have always learnt a lot of things from the outside whenever I didn't get to play. If a chance to play arrived, I have always tried to implement those things on the field."

The physical transformation is evident - fitter and leaner than in previous seasons, Rajeshwari has retained the guile that has always been her hallmark. "I did become mentally stronger by learning a lot of things from the outside and I have also taken care of my fitness. You must be thinking that I look fit - I have worked hard on myself.

“It's my main focus to always do well when on the field and whoever thinks that my time in cricket is over, I have to show them by doing well and saying that 'Yes, I am doing great and I have to play a lot more cricket ahead,’” she said.

For Rajeshwari, the decision to undergo surgery came with the knowledge that the path back would be arduous, and there were no guarantees of returning to her previous best self, including being back in the Indian team. "When the surgery was about to happen, I knew that it was not going to be easy for me. I had realized a lot of things – like it is going to take time for me to get out of this.

“At that time, I was mentally very down. When you do know that things are not going to be right in the coming times, it was a very big decision for me to get the surgery done. I knew that it was not going to be easy and will be a tough thing for me.

"Still, I agreed to get the surgery done. But I did not get a chance to join the team and I was mentally down. It's just that whenever I get a chance to play, I will do my best. That is why I did well in the domestic season as well – I was the (third) highest wicket there (in Senior Women’s T20 Trophy). What has happened is that age is something everyone talks about, but I don't think that age is a big deal for anyone."

Rather than accepting the narrative that her time had passed, especially due to the emergence of young left-arm spinners N Sree Charani and Vaishnavi Sharma, apart from Radha Yadav and Shuchi Upadhaya being given chances, Rajeshwari chose to work hard and come back to playing the game she picked as a kid in Bijapur. "As long as I am fit, I can play and I want to drive out that mentality from everyone's mind and make them realise that age is just a number.

“As long as I want to play, I will play. So, let's see - I have always tried to give my best. A lot of people thought that my cricket career was over, but that is not the case. This is just a new beginning for me and I would like to say that," she said.

With WPL 2026 seeing her be back at her best in T20s, Rajeshwari is naturally keen to add more scalps to her international career worth five Tests, 64 ODIs and 58 T20Is. "It means a lot to me. Everyone gets a chance after an injury, but I didn't get a chance and I do feel very sad about that. It's okay, as I will play whenever I get a chance.

“It has felt like everyone gets a chance after an injury, but when it came to me, I didn't get a chance. I should have got a chance and I feel regretful about the fact that I should have got at least one chance.

“One more thing - I didn't have a bad performance in ODIs, but I am not there in the ODI side. I am on 99 wickets and it does feel that I should have got a chance to play and complete 100 wickets. But I haven't got that chance and I feel I should have got that opportunity," she elaborated.

Asked if she still harbors hopes of an India comeback, her response is very direct. "If one doesn't look at the age, then I can get a chance. No one cares about the age and if you think about it, you won't get a chance. But if they think I can play, I will get a chance."

Through the toughest periods - the surgery, rehabilitation, and being out of action, Rajeshwari’s family constantly stayed by her side. "There was no one except my family. They have supported me a lot. No one else knew what I was going through. When you do well, people ask about you.

“But when you need someone, no one supports you and I have noticed this. At that time, no one supported me except my family. Even now, I play for my family because they do think that I can still play cricket. I am able to play now because of my family and their support."

Her younger sister, Rameshwari, also a cricketer and played for Karnataka, has become Rajeshwari’s most trusted technical advisor and mental support. "She plays a very big role in my life. She never thinks about herself when it comes to me. I always consider her more of a mentor than a sister.

“She is younger than me, but she is more mature than me. Whenever we go home, as of now, I don't have a personal coach for a long time. My sister is everything to me because she understands and tells me everything. We started playing cricket together. She knows what I do wrong and what I do right.

“We tell and listen to each other about what improvement we can bring to our respective games. She tells me what I am doing wrong or what I used to do right before. She understands everything about bowling and tries to tell me about it and she supports me a lot."

The support is unconditional, irrespective of performance or results. "She is always happy. My family always supports me - even if I don't get a wicket or pick four-five scalps, they are happy. They just want to see me play well. My family supports me a lot and I can say that I am still playing because of them," she said.

This WPL season has seen Gayakwad bowl in contrasting conditions, from the flatter surfaces in Navi Mumbai to the more helpful tracks at Vadodara. Though she didn’t get much bowling time in the first half of the competition, the second half has been a productive one for her.

"The pitches here aid the spinners, while flat pitches were there. But I didn't get many chances to bowl in Navi Mumbai. It was a little challenging for the bowlers there. But the wickets here are slow and the bowlers are getting help. Both the wickets were different, but it is fun to play."

Her pre-game preparation, however, eschews the modern trend of elaborate routines like data and analytics. "No, nothing like that. I have been playing for so many years. I don't have any routine of that kind. I believe in what is going to happen, will happen.

“Nothing is the same every day and I believe more in that. The day we do well, the day will be good. If we don't do well, we can't do anything. There are ups and downs in the lives of the players and that's it."

Her pre-game preparation, however, eschews the modern trend of elaborate routines like data and analytics. "No, nothing like that. I have been playing for so many years. I don't have any routine of that kind. I believe in what is going to happen, will happen.

For her, a crack at playing the WPL final and potentially lifting the trophy will be proof that age is irrelevant, passion endures, and Rajeshwari has no plans of fading away quietly.

Article Source: IANS