Chennai’s D Hemalatha bats her way to prominence at Women’s Premier League

Express News Service

CHENNAI: It was the opening game of the Women’s Premier League at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Gujarat Giants were 24/7, chasing 208 against Mumbai Indians. The contest was all but over. Then there was a battter who would dance down the track to launch Amelia Kerr into the stands. In the next over, she would do the same against a pacer in Pooja Vastrakar, making everyone, most of whom who hadn’t seen her bat much before, go wow. The batter was D Hemalatha. 

Such were her shots that it would make her teammate and Australian all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner quip how she was able to play those shots in that situation. All Hemalatha had to say was that she was trying to play her natural game. The all-rounder from Chennai who plays for Railways in the domestic circuit would go on to smash 151 runs at a strike rate of 157.29 (second highest for Indians with more than 40 runs) and eight sixes (joint-second for Indians). 

Domestic to international
While she had racked up similar performances in the domestic circuit, which in fact led to her India comeback last year, to watch her play the way she did left many with a happy surprise. But those who have seen her bat in the past knew it all along. Hemalatha attests the reactions to the visibility and platform the WPL has provided the players.

However, it wasn’t always like this. In the past, the players have had to search for grounds to train. In fact, Hemalatha, who hadn’t touched a cricket ball till she passed school, used to walk and hop on busses for 15-20 kilometres to practise and play games during her early years. Coming from a middle-class family, cricket was not a first-choice career option for her. When she wanted to try out cricket after school, the first question was ‘why now?’. But once she got the taste of how it feels, Hemalatha could not let go off the sport. “Cricket was the only thing I loved doing,” laughs Hemalatha. “I got good marks, but never liked studies that much.”

After the first trials she attended at the age of 17 in Thiruvallur, she joined the summer camp at the SS Cricket Academy in Chennai, started training day-in and day-out. “I knew nothing about batting. It was coach Peter Fernandez who shaped my basics. He would spend time with me every day. I got some good friends too, we used to spend the entire day at cricket grounds,” she says.

Support system
However, it is not easy to sustain the passion without financial support, especially in a sport like cricket. In the early days, Hemalatha played mostly on borrowed kits. Sometimes senior players, male cricketers or coaches would give her bat, pad or a kit which she would try and use it for as long as she could. “There was not much income in cricket. It was only after playing for the state, I was able to buy the things I needed. So many talented players I know, had left the sport because of the lack of income at that time. I persevered because I had some family support. I wanted to prove and achieve something for them and gave it my all,” she shares.

Hemalatha has achieved some stellar things in her cricketing career so far. She got selected for Tamil Nadu senior and age-group teams in her first attempt. In 2018, she would make her India debut. Her parents where at the stadium for the Giants’ final match of the WPL season, watching her play for the very first time. 

For Hemalatha, WPL was a platform to showcase her ability. “It was intense. Watching overseas players and their approach, I felt the need to improve and do more. Rachael Haynes, GG coach, for example, asked me to trust my process and ability no matter the situation. It was a really good learning experience,” she signs off.

<br /> CHENNAI: It was the opening game of the Women’s Premier League at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Gujarat Giants were 24/7, chasing 208 against Mumbai Indians. The contest was all but over. Then there was a battter who would dance down the track to launch Amelia Kerr into the stands. In the next over, she would do the same against a pacer in Pooja Vastrakar, making everyone, most of whom who hadn’t seen her bat much before, go wow. The batter was D Hemalatha. </p> <p>Such were her shots that it would make her teammate and Australian all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner quip how she was able to play those shots in that situation. All Hemalatha had to say was that she was trying to play her natural game. The all-rounder from Chennai who plays for Railways in the domestic circuit would go on to smash 151 runs at a strike rate of 157.29 (second highest for Indians with more than 40 runs) and eight sixes (joint-second for Indians). </p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.85 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad241053 " id="quads-ad241053" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.85 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="3250057321"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>Domestic to international<br /> While she had racked up similar performances in the domestic circuit, which in fact led to her India comeback last year, to watch her play the way she did left many with a happy surprise. But those who have seen her bat in the past knew it all along. Hemalatha attests the reactions to the visibility and platform the WPL has provided the players.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });</p> <p>However, it wasn’t always like this. In the past, the players have had to search for grounds to train. In fact, Hemalatha, who hadn’t touched a cricket ball till she passed school, used to walk and hop on busses for 15-20 kilometres to practise and play games during her early years. Coming from a middle-class family, cricket was not a first-choice career option for her. When she wanted to try out cricket after school, the first question was ‘why now?’. But once she got the taste of how it feels, Hemalatha could not let go off the sport. “Cricket was the only thing I loved doing,” laughs Hemalatha. “I got good marks, but never liked studies that much.”</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.85 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad241053 " id="quads-ad241053" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.85 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="3250057321"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>After the first trials she attended at the age of 17 in Thiruvallur, she joined the summer camp at the SS Cricket Academy in Chennai, started training day-in and day-out. “I knew nothing about batting. It was coach Peter Fernandez who shaped my basics. He would spend time with me every day. I got some good friends too, we used to spend the entire day at cricket grounds,” she says.</p> <p>Support system<br /> However, it is not easy to sustain the passion without financial support, especially in a sport like cricket. In the early days, Hemalatha played mostly on borrowed kits. Sometimes senior players, male cricketers or coaches would give her bat, pad or a kit which she would try and use it for as long as she could. “There was not much income in cricket. It was only after playing for the state, I was able to buy the things I needed. So many talented players I know, had left the sport because of the lack of income at that time. I persevered because I had some family support. I wanted to prove and achieve something for them and gave it my all,” she shares.</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.85 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad241053 " id="quads-ad241053" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.85 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="3250057321"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>Hemalatha has achieved some stellar things in her cricketing career so far. She got selected for Tamil Nadu senior and age-group teams in her first attempt. In 2018, she would make her India debut. Her parents where at the stadium for the Giants’ final match of the WPL season, watching her play for the very first time. </p> <p>For Hemalatha, WPL was a platform to showcase her ability. “It was intense. Watching overseas players and their approach, I felt the need to improve and do more. Rachael Haynes, GG coach, for example, asked me to trust my process and ability no matter the situation. It was a really good learning experience,” she signs off.<br />