WPL 2025: How Sanskriti Gupta went from being Mumbai Indians fan to playing for franchise

New Delhi, Feb 21 (IANS) Sanskriti Gupta’s confidence in the Mumbai Indians picking her in last year’s WPL auction in Bengaluru is evident in her clear and assured words. Sanskriti was so certain she’d join MI that she only attended the side’s trials happening before the auction.

“I was ready in my mind that maybe MI might take me in the auction this time, as I gave only their trials. When MI eventually picked me (for INR 10 lakh), everyone was very happy, including my family back home.

“The head coach (Charlotte Edwards) messaged me saying, ‘welcome to the family’. Devieka (Palshikaar, batting coach) ma’am also texted me and said, ‘It’s good you are here; we will win this time’,” recalls Sanskriti, now an MI player in WPL 2025, in an exclusive conversation with IANS.

Sanskriti’s intense fandom for MI largely stems from their 2019 IPL final victory, where Lasith Malinga trapped Shardul Thakur lbw on the final ball of the match to help the team clinch their fourth title.

During the recently concluded Vadodara leg of WPL 2025, Sanskriti’s transition from MI supporter to player was complete after playing in the side’s season opener against Delhi Capitals and being in the team for their victory over Gujarat Giants.

Sanskriti, 20, is yet to fully showcase her all-round skills in the WPL – making only two runs in one innings and yet to get a go with her off-spin bowling, which was instrumental in Madhya Pradesh’s Senior Women’s One-Day Trophy win. But Sanskriti still made some impact via fielding – taking two catches and effecting a run-out.

Although the WPL 2025 season is still early, Sanskriti is expected to make significant contributions to the matches in Bengaluru, Lucknow, and Mumbai. Right now, she’s delighted at the love and support received in the camp MI, with her family keen to see her play in future matches.

“It has been a very good experience. When I spoke to the coaches before my first game, everyone told me that I just have to do well. I told my family back home as well about making my debut and they were very happy. They are following me a lot in the WPL. When Saturday’s game was on, everyone was sitting in front of the TV and waiting for me to play.

“In domestic circuit, there is a lot of freedom, but they do tell you how to do something in a certain way. Here, you just have to stay the way you are. You are good, that’s why you have been selected, so that’s it. The coaches in MI set-up have been excellent; everyone is very supportive and have been really good towards me,” she added.

Sanskriti hails from Sidhi, a district an hour and 20 mins away from Rewa in Madhya Pradesh, and started playing cricket as a sixth grader. Sanskriti discovered a whole new world through cricket, especially women’s cricket, which she’d never known before.

Encouragement to take up the sport came in heaps from her family – her father used to play football, while dabbling in cricket and basketball in his younger days. Her uncles, both older and younger, also played various sports, which meant they knew the challenges of making a career out of it.

“When I was 17-18, they used to ask me when I would play at the higher level and were concerned that despite playing for a long time, why nothing had materialised. But now they support me a lot and want me to play as many matches quickly,” recalls Sanskriti.

To further her cricket career, Sanskriti moved from Sidhi to Shahdol after 1.5 years of training, where better facilities allowed her to compete in divisional matches. Three years later, Sanskriti’s life took a turn when the government-funded Women’s Cricket Academy in Shivpuri opened in January 2022 and she joined it instantly.

“I used to live in Shahdol, who I represented in the division matches, by renting a room there for three years. After that, when the government opened the academy, I directly shifted there. I didn’t have an option to think and shifted directly to Shivpuri, where I found a coach named Arun Singh there.”

Sanskriti’s impressive fielding in her two WPL matches is a direct result of the strong emphasis on fielding skills during her formative years, which also contributed to her initial selection for the Madhya Pradesh senior women’s team. “When I used to live in Sidhi, I used to do a lot of fielding at the academy there. It’s one of the big reasons why I have been good at fielding.”

“When I shifted to Shahdol, I started batting and bowling gradually and improved those skills by practising a lot. Initially, I started by being a pacer. Then I became an off spinner after a while. I was already good at batting. Gradually, I improved in all aspects of the game.”

Being under Singh at the academy in Shivpuri also helped Sanskriti to evolve more as an all-rounder. “I am very happy that his hard work on me is paying off. I haven’t got a coach like him yet. Like if a youngster gets a coach like him soon, she will go very far in their playing career.

“One gets to learn a lot from him. He picks the right things for you to develop as cricketers in all skillsets and is aware of what a player requires. I have a good bonding with him, as one can actually talk to him freely.”

Playing for Madhya Pradesh’s U-16 team for three years, Sanskriti found the competition tough, and realisation struck of her needing more hardwork to play at a higher level. “There, I got an idea about the higher level of women’s cricket. From there, I got the realisation that no matter what happens, I have to keep playing cricket.”

While she loved hitting sixes over long-on and bowling off-breaks to castle right-handed batsmen, Sanskriti reflects on her three frustrating years with the U19 team, where she didn’t achieve any significant progress. However, the Madhya Pradesh system refused to let her go, and she ultimately found a way to succeed.

“The MP team were supporting me a lot, but still, I was not able to perform. Despite that, they didn’t let go of me and kept supporting. Then in U23, my performances started to come out. In my last year of U19, I scored a century and later hit 39 off 13 balls.

Following this, Sanskriti played a key role in Madhya Pradesh’s three successive victories in the U19, U23, and Senior Women’s categories. “My performances were good in all of them. I bowled the last over in U23 final when Delhi needed eight runs off six balls, and we won the match from there.

“Everyone’s support was good in recent one-day championship win. All the teammates put in a lot of effort, as we were waiting to win the seniors’ trophy and were working hard to get it for a long time. When the result came in front of us, it turned out to be a very good one.”

Though Sanskriti went wicketless in the Senior Women’s One Day Trophy final this season, she had picked 16 wickets in Madhya Pradesh’s run to winning trophy for the first time. Featuring in the same playing eleven alongside her was pacer Kranti Goud, who took a four-fer in the final and is now with UP Warriorz in the WPL.

It also made Sanskriti and Kranti the second and third players from Madhya Pradesh to feature in the WPL after India all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar, who’s currently out of action due to an injury.

“It’s a very proud thing that the youngsters are coming from Madhya Pradesh into the WPL. Being in WPL is a good opportunity for us as we the younger players will get more experience at the senior level in terms of matches and conditions on offer.

“The earlier opportunities are grabbed, it will help us in the future. It’s a very proud thing that as young players, we get a chance to prove ourselves on such a platform and showcase that we have the talent to do good in cricket,” added Sanskriti.

Sanskriti has forged strong bonds with her MI teammates, including fellow spin all-rounders Amandeep Kaur, Jintimani Kalita, and G Kamalini, and chatted with Amanjot Kaur and Sajana Sajeevan. More than anything, she’s thrilled to be playing alongside Harmanpreet Kaur in WPL 2025.

“I don’t have a lot of inspirations; it’s just like their some of their things. I like Harman di’s fielding and attitude on the ground. So, very excited to be in this team and play alongside her. I feel good being around her as she is the Indian team skipper and is also the captain here.”

Sanskriti’s life has been an incredible journey filled with valuable lessons in going from a small town in Sidhi to playing for her beloved Mumbai Indians in the WPL. Should everything go to plan, she may become a WPL winner if MI lifts the trophy at the Brabourne Stadium on March 15, if the absolute clarity in her words are to go by.

“Cricket teaches you a lot of things. First of all, you become very disciplined. You stay in one place. You don’t go here and there. You learn how to talk to people, while you become mature and get an understanding of how to adapt quickly to various things. Whenever I get a chance, I want to give my best to the team. I want the team to win, and lift the trophy – that’s all I want.”

–IANS

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