Women's Day 2025: What Did Asha Sobhana Say About WPL, Women's Cricket? Watch Interview

Women's Day 2025: Women’s cricketer Asha Sobhana shares insights on her cricketing journey, the Women's Premier League (WPL), and women's cricket in general. Watch this interview to know what Asha Sobhana had to say!

#WomensDay2025 #AshaSobhana #AshaSobhanaInterview #TeamIndia #WPL2025 #RCB #OneIndia #WomenInLeadership #BreakingBarriers #Cricket #CricketNews

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Transcript

00:00In the abundant talent pool of Indian cricket, we often believe and think that you have to

00:11start very early to make it to the top.

00:14But our guest today is someone who epitomizes what Led Bloomer is.

00:19She started her cricket early, but got her recognition at a comparatively later stage.

00:28She took the cricket world by storm in her WPL debut for Royal Challengers Bangalore

00:35and since has gone on to represent India as well.

00:39Welcome today, our guest, Ms. Asha Shobana.

00:43Asha, welcome to One India, Michael, thank you for giving this time.

00:48How are you?

00:49Thank you so much for inviting me.

00:51I'm doing great.

00:52Asha, you started with very humble beginnings in Kerala and from there you have reached

00:57at this level and you've represented RCB in the WPL, you've played for India.

01:04Just let's take us through to your journey as from your childhood to becoming an Indian

01:10cricketer.

01:11It was a difficult start for me in the beginning where I started my cricket in my hometown

01:18Trivandrum and luckily I had, by the grace of God, I had people around me who supported

01:26me throughout my career and my life.

01:28So that is the reason I'm sitting here right now at the moment.

01:32So feeling so humbled and grateful towards those things people have done for me in the

01:41past, I mean, when I was starting my cricket career.

01:46So it was difficult, but yeah, better late than never, I'm glad that I made it to the

01:54Indian team.

01:56Many may not know that you started your career as a fast bowler and from there you transitioned

02:01to become a leg spinner.

02:04So how did it happen?

02:07What was the impact, what was the factor behind you, this transition to become a spinner from

02:14a fast bowler?

02:15Yeah, I was a fast bowler when I started playing because I used to play in paper bowl as a

02:22leg spinner.

02:23It used to turn so much in our Delhi cricket.

02:27So when I came to my first trials for the district team, I was scared that what if it

02:34doesn't spin the cricket ball, the leather ball, what if it doesn't spin like how I want

02:39to be, how I want it to spin.

02:42Then I decided that I'll just run and bowl.

02:45That was at that time I thought that is the easiest thing I can do.

02:49Then I just ran and bowled fast from the, I was selected to the district team.

02:54And then from there onwards, I didn't tell anybody that I can spin the ball.

02:58Then I continued bowling fast.

03:01Then there was a time where we finished our practice and we were all tired.

03:06That is the time I thought I cannot run and bowl anymore.

03:10I'll take some time for myself break.

03:14Then I was just standing and bowling leg spin.

03:16That is the time our late Shrikumar sir saw me bowling from far actually.

03:23Then he came towards me and asked, what are you doing?

03:26I said, sir, I was tired.

03:28That's the reason I'm bowling leg spin.

03:30He was like, okay, from now onwards, you're going to bowl only leg spin.

03:34So I was like, so relieved.

03:36I don't have to run so much.

03:39This is something that I am doing at home also.

03:42So yeah, I can continue this at this place also.

03:46I was very happy.

03:47There was a time that you wanted to probably quit your career.

03:51You wanted to move forward.

03:52You were not sure whether cricket is the right path for you.

03:56But then that dream RCB debut that is etched in our memories happened.

04:02And you announced yourself, to be honest, to the world.

04:05Has that memory sunk in yet?

04:08Or is it still very vivid when you look back?

04:13That was some moment in my life.

04:15One of the greatest moments in my life

04:17that I was picked by RCB in WPL.

04:21That is the reason I was recognized by many

04:24and got into the Indian side.

04:27So I'm always grateful to the franchise and the WPL setup.

04:32I mean, because of WPL, only so many people are.

04:36If you take for an example, Sajana.

04:39Sajana, everybody knows about Sajana.

04:44She's a cricketer and all.

04:45But we're not sure about her capabilities

04:48until she scored that six in the last delivery.

04:52So that is the major changes WPL made in domestic players' life.

04:58Me, Sajana, Saima, Thakur.

05:01And many to come, actually.

05:02Many to come, all these under-19 players.

05:04We saw Karanthi Gowd coming and playing.

05:08So this WPL drastically, I think, changed everybody's life.

05:12And it's going to change.

05:13It's going to stay there.

05:15So grateful to that setup.

05:17And coming to the Indian side, it

05:20was a dream come true moment for me.

05:23I think so many people came and told me

05:26that you're going to make it to the Indian side

05:29at a very young age.

05:30So I was also expecting that from my 16 or 17 years,

05:34yeah, by the time of my 20 years,

05:37I have to make it to the Indian side.

05:40That was, as a youngster, anybody

05:44would wish to play for India.

05:47So when that didn't happen, yeah, I was a little sad and all.

05:51But yeah, I knew that someday it will definitely happen.

05:55It's not going to, you know, it's not something

05:58that I cannot achieve.

06:00But it was possible with only WPL.

06:03I am so grateful.

06:04We are coming into the International Women's

06:06Day that is going to be celebrated on 8th March

06:08across the globe.

06:10Just want to ask you something that

06:13may look a bit of a sensitive thing

06:16because we designate this particular day for the women's.

06:19And when it comes to the other 364 days of the calendar year,

06:23we see atrocities.

06:24We see women getting raped, women getting murdered.

06:28They're getting tortured for dowries

06:31and many other plethora of atrocities that they endure.

06:36So what is your message regarding that?

06:39Because we speak a lot of big things for this day.

06:43We share a lot of words on social media.

06:46But when it comes to execution properly,

06:50perhaps we still fail as a society.

06:52So your thoughts on that?

06:54It's very sad, you know, to hear, I mean, so many rape cases,

07:02no matter what age, it keeps happening.

07:06That is very sad to hear and see those things.

07:11But as a woman, I think all we can do is to be strong.

07:17That is one thing that we can become.

07:21And more physically also, as a sports person,

07:25I think everybody should exercise

07:27and everybody should know at least one martial arts.

07:30That's what I feel.

07:31Everyone should know if somebody comes against you,

07:35at least you should know how to block or give a slap.

07:38I think every woman should know something.

07:42You know, they should maintain their mental and physical

07:46health.

07:47That is one way that we can give something back

07:53when somebody comes against us.

07:56I think that is something that even I see that if any kids are

08:03in my home, I encourage them to take up any sports they would

08:10love to.

08:11But at the same time, any kind of one martial arts

08:14you should learn.

08:16That is not just to fight with somebody,

08:18but for your self-protection.

08:21So Varsha, if you just come back to your journey,

08:25you have had the struggle at the early stages,

08:27but your parents, they have been supportive along the way

08:31for you.

08:32So how much bigger impact they had in your life growing

08:38as a kid in Kerala?

08:39And now that you have seen it all,

08:41you've reached at the very high of your journey.

08:46How do you describe that?

08:48Those were the golden days, you know,

08:50when we don't know that the professional cricket is there

08:54and we don't know anything about the professional cricket.

08:57Before that, I think those were the golden days.

08:59I always remember that me and my brother

09:03go in and check for newspapers.

09:06We collect it.

09:07We arrange some rubber bands.

09:09And when we wrap it up with the milk packets,

09:12those were amazing and golden days.

09:15I always love to keep those memories with me.

09:19And of course, it was very difficult,

09:22but those moments give me immense joy, actually,

09:28because it's not about, you know,

09:30I don't believe in that when you have everything,

09:33if anybody is going to do anything.

09:35But when you don't have anything,

09:36still you keep on doing the things you love to do.

09:39I think that is where your passion comes to place.

09:43So that way, I feel so blessed.

09:48Those humble beginnings are going to make you stronger.

09:52I mean, those humble moments are what made Asha Shobhana.

10:01So those days where I remember that I struggled for best

10:07pairs and for clothing, for bags, for shoes,

10:12I was so lucky that I had many people around me

10:15to help me out.

10:17If you take my seniors, my coach, Aaron Joe Thomas,

10:20my mentor, late Shabina Jacob, ma'am, and my seniors,

10:25everybody was there for me to help me out

10:27in different phases of my life.

10:30My parents, especially, they didn't have so much

10:34to give me, if you talk about cricket equipment, shoes,

10:37or something.

10:38But morally, they were there.

10:39Whatever they could give, they always give.

10:42It's not like they had something and they didn't help me.

10:46They always helped me with whatever

10:48they could possibly do.

10:51I'm so grateful for that.

10:54You're coming back to cricket.

10:56You have played for RCB.

10:58You have represented the Indian women's team.

11:00And you have kind of been in close quarters

11:03with Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur,

11:06two of the probably the biggest stars of Indian women's cricket

11:09right now.

11:09So how have you seen them in person at such close quarters?

11:13What are the things that they do differently,

11:16or anything that you may have picked up from them?

11:19They are like very professional cricketers.

11:24They're elite cricketers who any youngsters

11:27can admire about their work.

11:31And it's been great playing under both of them,

11:36actually, Smriti in RCB and Paji,

11:39Haripaji in Indian team.

11:41I know them.

11:42And they've been very supportive, to be frank.

11:47Both my debuts were amazing, playing under Haripaji

11:53and playing under Smriti also made it so special,

11:56winning the RCB Cup.

11:58So I have a very good connection with both of them.

12:01And both are great, amazing.

12:05As a person also, Smriti is very, very kind.

12:11Smriti is a very good person.

12:16Whatever I have in my mind, I just go and speak to Smriti.

12:19And she's very supportive.

12:23And Paji also, we were there in railways together long back.

12:28And we know each other very well.

12:29She's a very gem of a person.

12:32Haripaji is a gem of a person.

12:34She's an amazing human being.

12:35But in terms of Indian women's cricket,

12:37if you see when it comes to just crossing the final bridge,

12:43we have struggled.

12:44We have failed.

12:45We haven't been able to cross that final hurdle

12:48in many finals of the World Cup and other competitions.

12:52So where do we lack?

12:53Do you think that there is some mentality issue where

12:58we lack to act when the adversities are there?

13:04I don't think anything like that.

13:06It depends on that particular day,

13:09where we saw we have beaten Australia a number of times.

13:14But very few moments that very few times

13:17that we lost against them.

13:20So I don't think about the mentality of the players.

13:23Right now at the time, I think the team is really

13:27in a really great shape.

13:29If we talk about mindset, if we talk about physical health,

13:34we have completely changed our patterns.

13:37We are very disciplined, to be frank, about our fitness,

13:43about our diet.

13:44And whatever you take, I don't think

13:47we are lacking in anything.

13:49And even mindset also, where you see in coming back

13:52to the WPL debut that you had, a dream debut with RCB.

13:58But I'm just going to shift a bit from cricket here.

14:01I'll just talk about the celebration

14:03that you had after that stellar spell

14:06and the spectacles on the eyes.

14:11And can you just give an account of that celebration?

14:16Because I know what the reason is,

14:18but probably you can share it to the world.

14:21So I'm an RCB fan.

14:23Yeah, it's from cross-court inspiration.

14:27Yeah, he's a great footballer.

14:29I mean, he comes in the last moment

14:32and he put that crucial goal and go.

14:34We all have our inspirations.

14:36We all have our connections.

14:38But for you as a cricketer, who has

14:41been your biggest influence, not just as a cricketer,

14:44but who has inspired you to become a better human,

14:47probably, from whom you have learned the basics of life

14:52or the things that you have implemented in your career?

14:57There are so many cricketers I can talk about growing up.

15:00But there is one person that who inspired

15:02me picking up cricket as a profession.

15:04That is Sachin Tendulkar, sir.

15:06I mean, we used to make that coconut wood bat.

15:11We'll just cut those wood and make bat.

15:13And we would just write MRF behind that bat

15:18or with sketches and all.

15:20We used to bat like that.

15:21That's how we admired Sachin Tendulkar, sir.

15:25He's been a great inspiration from the start.

15:28And still, there is no one like Sachin Tendulkar.

15:32He's Sachin Tendulkar.

15:34So Sachin Tendulkar has been a greatest inspiration.

15:38And there are a few sports personalities.

15:43Cristiano Ronaldo has been a great inspiration

15:46throughout my life.

15:47I mean, the way he came off, I mean,

15:52from that level where he started and where

15:55he's standing at the moment.

15:57And the way his dedication, his work ethics, everything's been.

16:03I mean, I'm a great fan of Cristiano Ronaldo.

16:06And I like Kobe Bryant.

16:11I'm not a big follower of NBL or basketball.

16:14But yeah, recently I read something about Kobe Bryant

16:18and the way his Mamba mentality really helped me.

16:23I mean, that is something that we can talk about a lot

16:30about Kobe Bryant, the kind of mentality

16:33we should have as a sportsperson.

16:36So I really admire his work.

16:40He's not with us anymore.

16:41But yeah, his legacy always stays in our heart.

16:44So these people.

16:46And growing up, I was a great fan of Rahul Dravid, sir,

16:49Anil Kumble, sir, Stuart Magill.

16:53But right now, I like Joe Root.

16:57He's one of the greatest, I mean, best batter.

17:04In my eyes, I mean, he's one of the greatest batters.

17:07I love Joe Root very much.

17:10His batting is amazing.

17:12A big fan of Joe Root, actually.

17:14Yeah.

17:16These are the people I always look up to.

17:18Thank you so much.

17:19Thank you so much for inviting me.

17:21And I had a good time.

Women's Day 2025: What Did Asha Sobhana Say About WPL, Women's Cricket? Watch Interview | OneIndia

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