Male cricketers such as Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni have recently joined the Air Force and Army, respectively. Today, however, we bring you a story about a lady who is making history in this gentlemen’s game and making her country proud. Flight Lieutenant Shikha Subas Pandey, a senior women’s cricketer for India and an officer in the Indian Air Force, is empowering women across the nation to reach for the stars and believe that nothing is out of reach. Shikha was born and reared in the small town of Karimnagar in the Indian state of Telangana. She has always been a bright student and graduated from Goa College of Engineering with a degree in Electronics and Electrical Engineering. This young star has always prioritized her studies, and she had to juggle a lot between academics and cricket training during her college years. Shikha is coached by Nitin Vernekar, a former Goa cricketer and current coach for the Sports Authority of Goa. Shikha had to travel 12 kilometres each day to go to her training sessions. Shikha’s development as a cricketer was crucial during this time. Shikha, on the other hand, did not let her love of cricket interfere with her schoolwork, and she succeeded in both academics and athletics.
Shikha was given wonderful job prospects by three global organizations after graduating from Goa College of Engineering in 2010, but she declined and decided to take a year off to focus on her cricketing career. Shikha joined the Indian Air Force in 2011 and was commissioned as an air traffic controller in 2012. Shikha made her debut as a cricketer in the International Twenty20 (T20) format in 2014 in which she competed against Bangladesh at Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar Cricket Stadium. She also made her One Day International (ODI) and Test cricket debuts against England in the same year, at Wormsley and Scarborough, respectively.
The Indian women’s cricket team is set to meet England in a test match in Bristol after a nearly seven-year wait. The new Test kit for India vs England 2021 was just announced on the BCCI Women’s official Twitter account, and all of the players were ecstatic to see their individual outfits. Shikha Pandey, meanwhile, turned to her official page and wrote an inspirational message that went viral. “Every day, I see this 5-year-old starry-eyed girl who asks me the same thing and I have no idea what to reply. I’ve exhausted all of my excuses, so I tell myself to work harder and be the change I’m looking for!” read the note.
“Respect and gratitude to every woman cricketer who came before us, strength to the mates who are toiling hard right now at all levels. Hope to the future ones whom we aim to inspire!” the note added.
Shikha Pandey’s tale is an inspiration for all of us in a time when women are often misunderstood. She motivates us to set high goals for ourselves and work hard to accomplish them.
