Saika Ishaque's journey from the streets of Kolkata to the top division of cricket in India
Saika's journey from poverty to affluence resembles a fairytale, and in 2023 she will become India's most successful cricket player.
India's Mumbai Both the locals and the middle-class Hindu population of Kolkata, India's historic eastern metropolis, refer to Park Circus, a busy neighborhood, as a Muslim ghetto.
Here, at the intersection of Kolkata's central and southern districts, are some of the city's poorest slums, interspersed with upscale neighborhoods, shopping centers, and dining establishments.
It is quite amazing that Saika Ishaque, a resident of the neighborhood, took up cricket at a young age in such a traditional and marginalized setting, particularly for women.
Furthermore, the Park Circus player known as "ziddi" (headstrong) went on to become one of the year's biggest success stories in Indian cricket and a breakout star.
Saika had an incredible year. She signed a deal to play in the inaugural Women's Premier League (WPL) with the Mumbai Indians, won a title with them, and made her debut for India in the most recent Twenty20 series against England.
The 28-year-old left-arm spinner is currently attempting to gain entry into the Test team as they aim to assemble a formidable team.
Ask the illustrious fast bowler Jhulan Goswami, who is known for being the embodiment of unlikely, triumphant stories in Indian cricket.
"Saika's early years have been difficult," Goswami said to Al Jazeera.
Goswami, who is currently the bowling coach for the Mumbai Indians, and a former teammate of Saika's in the Bengals, knows her better than most.
"Her family has always been in completely impoverished financial circumstances. She was orphaned at a young age, and it's amazing to see a girl go this far and represent India in cricket after growing up in a place where eating two square meals a day, studying, and playing sports are all considered difficult tasks.
Goswami has been closely observing Saika's journey.
The 41-year-old recalls practicing at Vivekananda Park in southern Kolkata with a bat nearly twice her size as a pre-teen Saika.
She had a lot of pluck for an 11- or 12-year-old, the kind of X factor you look for in young cricket players. She would approach the nets with her mother's hand in tow, and whenever she spoke in Hindi, she would always say the words "I will eat, go, do" in the masculine gender (khaunga, jaunga, karunga).
She still makes mistakes like this in her speech. Her early years spent in the narrow streets of Park Circus, where the majority of her friends were boys—a rare occurrence for Muslim women in those parts—may be partially to blame.
She spent her early years riding motorcycles, playing gully cricket, and strutting around the neighborhood like a neighborhood gang boss.
Add her love of dying her hair various colors, such as purple, green, and red, to all that rizz.
On the eve of Saika's India debut last week, Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of India and head coach of the Mumbai Indians, remarked, "She has a 'bindaas' [carefree] character."
Remembering Saika's famous comment, "I'm a bowler." From her WPL tenure, Harmanpreet continued, "I'm here to take wickets. She has a wicket-taking mindset."
With three wickets in the third Twenty20 match, which India won, Saika finished the T20 series with five wickets.
Natalie Sciver-Brunt, an all-rounder for the Mumbai Indians and England, said that the audacious spinner "loves a challenge."
"I saw her attack the stumps and make life difficult for players even in her debut series for India."
Former England captain and current Mumbai Indians head coach Charlotte Edwards thinks Saika's personality comes through in her bowling.
Edwards shared with Al Jazeera, "She's undeniably a fierce competitor and a remarkable character."
"She appears somewhat changed with her new blonde hair!"
Saika's introduction to the WPL is attributed to Goswami.
"I inquired Jhulan, 'Who's the top-notch left-arm spinner yet to play for India?' prior to the auction. Edwards recounted, 'She mentioned Saika and even shared a video of her.'"
"Right after seeing it, I was certain she was the player we were after."
Saika's extensive experience as a dependable wicket-taker in domestic cricket—she has 140 wickets and 12 years of hard work under her belt—helped.
From
the big stage to Park Circus
Financial difficulties, such as the expenses of playing the game regularly and the historically low earning potential for female cricket players in India, frequently threatened to pull Saika away from the sport despite her success at home.
According to Goswami, "in many ways, it was our responsibility as her Bengal teammates and the Cricket Association of Bengal to make sure Saika doesn't end up like the thousands of other cricketers we have lost because of the lack of financial security."
Saika received her first cricket kit from the legendary tall Indian fast bowler, but she downplays it.
"Every contributor ensured Saika completed her education while promoting her cricket career."The rest is all in her hands in terms of determination, commitment, and destiny.
It was in the Park Circus streets that Saika had her first encounter with cricket.
Encouraged by his friend, Saika's father signed her up for a local cricket club, where she began as a fast bowler and also occasionally took wickets. At Vivekananda Park, a naturally left-handed Saika traded pace for spin at the insistence of an instructor.
"She was slightly quicker than most left-arm spinners, which struck me when I first saw her videos and in person," Edwards remarked.
She was able to bowl in the powerplay, which is a significant asset for left-arm spinners. In terms of what she brought to the table, she was quite accurate.
Edwards recalls turning to Goswami in the dugout and expressing her amazement with each wicket Saika took for the Mumbai Indians—15 in 10 games, making her the only Indian spinner in the top 10 wicket-takers in the league.
"We've got the best left-hand spinner in India for 10 lakh rupees [$12,000]—an incredible deal!," I would tell Jhulan. Edwards remembered.
"And see, she's currently playing for India."
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