Women's Day 2025: Women’s cricketer Asha Sobhana shares insights on her cricketing journey, the Women's Premier League (WPL), and women's cricket in general. Watch this interview to know what Asha Sobhana had to say!
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#WomensDay2025 #AshaSobhana #AshaSobhanaInterview #TeamIndia #WPL2025 #RCB #OneIndia #WomenInLeadership #BreakingBarriers #Cricket #CricketNews
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00:00In the abundant talent pool of Indian cricket, we often believe and think that you have to
00:11start very early to make it to the top.
00:14But our guest today is someone who epitomizes what Led Bloomer is.
00:19She started her cricket early, but got her recognition at a comparatively later stage.
00:28She took the cricket world by storm in her WPL debut for Royal Challengers Bangalore
00:35and since has gone on to represent India as well.
00:39Welcome today, our guest, Ms. Asha Shobana.
00:43Asha, welcome to One India, Michael, thank you for giving this time.
00:48How are you?
00:49Thank you so much for inviting me.
00:51I'm doing great.
00:52Asha, you started with very humble beginnings in Kerala and from there you have reached
00:57at this level and you've represented RCB in the WPL, you've played for India.
01:04Just let's take us through to your journey as from your childhood to becoming an Indian
01:10cricketer.
01:11It was a difficult start for me in the beginning where I started my cricket in my hometown
01:18Trivandrum and luckily I had, by the grace of God, I had people around me who supported
01:26me throughout my career and my life.
01:28So that is the reason I'm sitting here right now at the moment.
01:32So feeling so humbled and grateful towards those things people have done for me in the
01:41past, I mean, when I was starting my cricket career.
01:46So it was difficult, but yeah, better late than never, I'm glad that I made it to the
01:54Indian team.
01:56Many may not know that you started your career as a fast bowler and from there you transitioned
02:01to become a leg spinner.
02:04So how did it happen?
02:07What was the impact, what was the factor behind you, this transition to become a spinner from
02:14a fast bowler?
02:15Yeah, I was a fast bowler when I started playing because I used to play in paper bowl as a
02:22leg spinner.
02:23It used to turn so much in our Delhi cricket.
02:27So when I came to my first trials for the district team, I was scared that what if it
02:34doesn't spin the cricket ball, the leather ball, what if it doesn't spin like how I want
02:39to be, how I want it to spin.
02:42Then I decided that I'll just run and bowl.
02:45That was at that time I thought that is the easiest thing I can do.
02:49Then I just ran and bowled fast from the, I was selected to the district team.
02:54And then from there onwards, I didn't tell anybody that I can spin the ball.
02:58Then I continued bowling fast.
03:01Then there was a time where we finished our practice and we were all tired.
03:06That is the time I thought I cannot run and bowl anymore.
03:10I'll take some time for myself break.
03:14Then I was just standing and bowling leg spin.
03:16That is the time our late Shrikumar sir saw me bowling from far actually.
03:23Then he came towards me and asked, what are you doing?
03:26I said, sir, I was tired.
03:28That's the reason I'm bowling leg spin.
03:30He was like, okay, from now onwards, you're going to bowl only leg spin.
03:34So I was like, so relieved.
03:36I don't have to run so much.
03:39This is something that I am doing at home also.
03:42So yeah, I can continue this at this place also.
03:46I was very happy.
03:47There was a time that you wanted to probably quit your career.
03:51You wanted to move forward.
03:52You were not sure whether cricket is the right path for you.
03:56But then that dream RCB debut that is etched in our memories happened.
04:02And you announced yourself, to be honest, to the world.
04:05Has that memory sunk in yet?
04:08Or is it still very vivid when you look back?
04:13That was some moment in my life.
04:15One of the greatest moments in my life
04:17that I was picked by RCB in WPL.
04:21That is the reason I was recognized by many
04:24and got into the Indian side.
04:27So I'm always grateful to the franchise and the WPL setup.
04:32I mean, because of WPL, only so many people are.
04:36If you take for an example, Sajana.
04:39Sajana, everybody knows about Sajana.
04:44She's a cricketer and all.
04:45But we're not sure about her capabilities
04:48until she scored that six in the last delivery.
04:52So that is the major changes WPL made in domestic players' life.
04:58Me, Sajana, Saima, Thakur.
05:01And many to come, actually.
05:02Many to come, all these under-19 players.
05:04We saw Karanthi Gowd coming and playing.
05:08So this WPL drastically, I think, changed everybody's life.
05:12And it's going to change.
05:13It's going to stay there.
05:15So grateful to that setup.
05:17And coming to the Indian side, it
05:20was a dream come true moment for me.
05:23I think so many people came and told me
05:26that you're going to make it to the Indian side
05:29at a very young age.
05:30So I was also expecting that from my 16 or 17 years,
05:34yeah, by the time of my 20 years,
05:37I have to make it to the Indian side.
05:40That was, as a youngster, anybody
05:44would wish to play for India.
05:47So when that didn't happen, yeah, I was a little sad and all.
05:51But yeah, I knew that someday it will definitely happen.
05:55It's not going to, you know, it's not something
05:58that I cannot achieve.
06:00But it was possible with only WPL.
06:03I am so grateful.
06:04We are coming into the International Women's
06:06Day that is going to be celebrated on 8th March
06:08across the globe.
06:10Just want to ask you something that
06:13may look a bit of a sensitive thing
06:16because we designate this particular day for the women's.
06:19And when it comes to the other 364 days of the calendar year,
06:23we see atrocities.
06:24We see women getting raped, women getting murdered.
06:28They're getting tortured for dowries
06:31and many other plethora of atrocities that they endure.
06:36So what is your message regarding that?
06:39Because we speak a lot of big things for this day.
06:43We share a lot of words on social media.
06:46But when it comes to execution properly,
06:50perhaps we still fail as a society.
06:52So your thoughts on that?
06:54It's very sad, you know, to hear, I mean, so many rape cases,
07:02no matter what age, it keeps happening.
07:06That is very sad to hear and see those things.
07:11But as a woman, I think all we can do is to be strong.
07:17That is one thing that we can become.
07:21And more physically also, as a sports person,
07:25I think everybody should exercise
07:27and everybody should know at least one martial arts.
07:30That's what I feel.
07:31Everyone should know if somebody comes against you,
07:35at least you should know how to block or give a slap.
07:38I think every woman should know something.
07:42You know, they should maintain their mental and physical
07:46health.
07:47That is one way that we can give something back
07:53when somebody comes against us.
07:56I think that is something that even I see that if any kids are
08:03in my home, I encourage them to take up any sports they would
08:10love to.
08:11But at the same time, any kind of one martial arts
08:14you should learn.
08:16That is not just to fight with somebody,
08:18but for your self-protection.
08:21So Varsha, if you just come back to your journey,
08:25you have had the struggle at the early stages,
08:27but your parents, they have been supportive along the way
08:31for you.
08:32So how much bigger impact they had in your life growing
08:38as a kid in Kerala?
08:39And now that you have seen it all,
08:41you've reached at the very high of your journey.
08:46How do you describe that?
08:48Those were the golden days, you know,
08:50when we don't know that the professional cricket is there
08:54and we don't know anything about the professional cricket.
08:57Before that, I think those were the golden days.
08:59I always remember that me and my brother
09:03go in and check for newspapers.
09:06We collect it.
09:07We arrange some rubber bands.
09:09And when we wrap it up with the milk packets,
09:12those were amazing and golden days.
09:15I always love to keep those memories with me.
09:19And of course, it was very difficult,
09:22but those moments give me immense joy, actually,
09:28because it's not about, you know,
09:30I don't believe in that when you have everything,
09:33if anybody is going to do anything.
09:35But when you don't have anything,
09:36still you keep on doing the things you love to do.
09:39I think that is where your passion comes to place.
09:43So that way, I feel so blessed.
09:48Those humble beginnings are going to make you stronger.
09:52I mean, those humble moments are what made Asha Shobhana.
10:01So those days where I remember that I struggled for best
10:07pairs and for clothing, for bags, for shoes,
10:12I was so lucky that I had many people around me
10:15to help me out.
10:17If you take my seniors, my coach, Aaron Joe Thomas,
10:20my mentor, late Shabina Jacob, ma'am, and my seniors,
10:25everybody was there for me to help me out
10:27in different phases of my life.
10:30My parents, especially, they didn't have so much
10:34to give me, if you talk about cricket equipment, shoes,
10:37or something.
10:38But morally, they were there.
10:39Whatever they could give, they always give.
10:42It's not like they had something and they didn't help me.
10:46They always helped me with whatever
10:48they could possibly do.
10:51I'm so grateful for that.
10:54You're coming back to cricket.
10:56You have played for RCB.
10:58You have represented the Indian women's team.
11:00And you have kind of been in close quarters
11:03with Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur,
11:06two of the probably the biggest stars of Indian women's cricket
11:09right now.
11:09So how have you seen them in person at such close quarters?
11:13What are the things that they do differently,
11:16or anything that you may have picked up from them?
11:19They are like very professional cricketers.
11:24They're elite cricketers who any youngsters
11:27can admire about their work.
11:31And it's been great playing under both of them,
11:36actually, Smriti in RCB and Paji,
11:39Haripaji in Indian team.
11:41I know them.
11:42And they've been very supportive, to be frank.
11:47Both my debuts were amazing, playing under Haripaji
11:53and playing under Smriti also made it so special,
11:56winning the RCB Cup.
11:58So I have a very good connection with both of them.
12:01And both are great, amazing.
12:05As a person also, Smriti is very, very kind.
12:11Smriti is a very good person.
12:16Whatever I have in my mind, I just go and speak to Smriti.
12:19And she's very supportive.
12:23And Paji also, we were there in railways together long back.
12:28And we know each other very well.
12:29She's a very gem of a person.
12:32Haripaji is a gem of a person.
12:34She's an amazing human being.
12:35But in terms of Indian women's cricket,
12:37if you see when it comes to just crossing the final bridge,
12:43we have struggled.
12:44We have failed.
12:45We haven't been able to cross that final hurdle
12:48in many finals of the World Cup and other competitions.
12:52So where do we lack?
12:53Do you think that there is some mentality issue where
12:58we lack to act when the adversities are there?
13:04I don't think anything like that.
13:06It depends on that particular day,
13:09where we saw we have beaten Australia a number of times.
13:14But very few moments that very few times
13:17that we lost against them.
13:20So I don't think about the mentality of the players.
13:23Right now at the time, I think the team is really
13:27in a really great shape.
13:29If we talk about mindset, if we talk about physical health,
13:34we have completely changed our patterns.
13:37We are very disciplined, to be frank, about our fitness,
13:43about our diet.
13:44And whatever you take, I don't think
13:47we are lacking in anything.
13:49And even mindset also, where you see in coming back
13:52to the WPL debut that you had, a dream debut with RCB.
13:58But I'm just going to shift a bit from cricket here.
14:01I'll just talk about the celebration
14:03that you had after that stellar spell
14:06and the spectacles on the eyes.
14:11And can you just give an account of that celebration?
14:16Because I know what the reason is,
14:18but probably you can share it to the world.
14:21So I'm an RCB fan.
14:23Yeah, it's from cross-court inspiration.
14:27Yeah, he's a great footballer.
14:29I mean, he comes in the last moment
14:32and he put that crucial goal and go.
14:34We all have our inspirations.
14:36We all have our connections.
14:38But for you as a cricketer, who has
14:41been your biggest influence, not just as a cricketer,
14:44but who has inspired you to become a better human,
14:47probably, from whom you have learned the basics of life
14:52or the things that you have implemented in your career?
14:57There are so many cricketers I can talk about growing up.
15:00But there is one person that who inspired
15:02me picking up cricket as a profession.
15:04That is Sachin Tendulkar, sir.
15:06I mean, we used to make that coconut wood bat.
15:11We'll just cut those wood and make bat.
15:13And we would just write MRF behind that bat
15:18or with sketches and all.
15:20We used to bat like that.
15:21That's how we admired Sachin Tendulkar, sir.
15:25He's been a great inspiration from the start.
15:28And still, there is no one like Sachin Tendulkar.
15:32He's Sachin Tendulkar.
15:34So Sachin Tendulkar has been a greatest inspiration.
15:38And there are a few sports personalities.
15:43Cristiano Ronaldo has been a great inspiration
15:46throughout my life.
15:47I mean, the way he came off, I mean,
15:52from that level where he started and where
15:55he's standing at the moment.
15:57And the way his dedication, his work ethics, everything's been.
16:03I mean, I'm a great fan of Cristiano Ronaldo.
16:06And I like Kobe Bryant.
16:11I'm not a big follower of NBL or basketball.
16:14But yeah, recently I read something about Kobe Bryant
16:18and the way his Mamba mentality really helped me.
16:23I mean, that is something that we can talk about a lot
16:30about Kobe Bryant, the kind of mentality
16:33we should have as a sportsperson.
16:36So I really admire his work.
16:40He's not with us anymore.
16:41But yeah, his legacy always stays in our heart.
16:44So these people.
16:46And growing up, I was a great fan of Rahul Dravid, sir,
16:49Anil Kumble, sir, Stuart Magill.
16:53But right now, I like Joe Root.
16:57He's one of the greatest, I mean, best batter.
17:04In my eyes, I mean, he's one of the greatest batters.
17:07I love Joe Root very much.
17:10His batting is amazing.
17:12A big fan of Joe Root, actually.
17:14Yeah.
17:16These are the people I always look up to.
17:18Thank you so much.
17:19Thank you so much for inviting me.
17:21And I had a good time.