Hoshiarpur teen’s spinning skills bowl over cricketing fraternity

At just 17 years of age, Surbhi is already making waves in the cricketing world. As a left-arm spinner, she has earned herself a place in the Punjab cricket team participating in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) National U-23 Women’s Tournament.

Surbhi’s standout performance also won her the Player of the Match award in the U-19 tournament played at Aurangabad and Gurugram. She bowled an impressive 10 overs against Haryana, claiming four wickets while conceding just 12 runs.

She tasted success for the first time in 2021 when she was selected for the U-19 Punjab team at the tender age of 13 and represented the state at the BCCI Women’s event in Jaipur. Surbhi’s ambition is clear – to don the India jersey. Her coach Davinder Kaur Kalyan, along with Dr Raman Ghai, the Secretary of the Hoshiarpur District Cricket Association (HDCA), are confident that Surbhi will achieve her goal.

Surbhi’s achievements are historic for Hoshiarpur. She became the first girl from the district to make it to the BCCI National Tournament, which was held at Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, in October 2022.

Davinder Kalyan has been mentoring her for the past five years and is delighted at Surbhi’s progress.

Surbhi’s father Sanjay Narayan recalls how he first introduced her to sports. “Around four years ago, I took her to a stadium to motivate her to play badminton, but she wasn’t interested. Then I took her to the HDCA training centre and she agreed to try cricket. She was the only girl at the centre at that time and ever since, she has played with incredible dedication. We are sure that she will make it to the national level,” said Sanjay.

After joining the HDCA centre, she was quickly selected for the Punjab U-19 team in 2021, and again in 2022. She earned a spot in the team for the third consecutive year. In the same year, when the U-15 team was introduced, she was selected for both the U-15 and U-19 teams.

Surbhi’s remarkable performances while playing in the U-19 team, even as she was just 15 then, led selectors to pick her for the U-23 team. She has since been part of the team playing both the T20 and one-day formats at the national level.

Surbhi’s wants to play for India and make the country proud. She credits her coach, her parents and the HDCA for the unwavering support they’ve given her throughout her journey. “I’m grateful to my coach and family for always being there for me,” she said. “With their guidance, I believe I can achieve my dream,” she said.

Dr Raman Ghai, Secretary of HDCA, proudly reflects on Surbhi’s achievements. “She came to us at the age of 12 and started training. Since her selection for the Punjab team in 2021, Surbhi has never looked back. We have no doubt she will soon wear the Indian jersey and make us all proud,” he said.

Punjab