Soumya Tiwari is a die-hard Virat Kohli fan. She admires the erstwhile India captain a lot that her team-mates typically name her ‘ apni Virat’.
Of course, that’s banter, however the younger batter from Bhopal enjoys each little bit of it. She dons the No. 18 jersey – taking a cue from her favorite cricketer – and when on the sector, Soumya makes certain that she doesn’t enable the bowlers to breathe straightforward.
“Virat’s attitude inspires me. I admire the way he handles situations while playing under pressure,” Soumya, who made it to the India U-19 World Cup 2023 squad instructed Sportstar.
And the teen admits that each time she watches Kohli bat, it helps her be taught a factor or two. “I remember in one of our U-19 ZCA matches in Vijaywada, we were chasing 192 and we were 35 for five. From there, we went on to chase down the total, and throughout that game, I kept thinking about how would Virat handle such situations. It helped me immensely,” she mentioned.
When she began taking part in cricket in 2016, Soumya didn’t know that she would take up the game significantly. During her summer time breaks, her elder sister Sakshi took her to Suresh Chenani, a famous native coach. But again then, Chenani’s academy didn’t have services for ladies cricketers, so Soumya needed to make just a few visits earlier than the seasoned coach was satisfied that she had it in her to play the game on the worldwide stage.
“I started playing cricket at the age of 11 as a leisure activity during summer vacation. My sister took me to the local training centre and I liked playing the game. Initially, I thought it would just be restricted to the summer vacation, but my coach gave me a chance to train with U-14 boys and I took the opportunity,” she mentioned.
For the primary three years, she educated with boys and finally caught the eye of the state selectors and made it to the Madhya Pradesh U-23 crew on the age of 13. For Soumya, cricket runs within the household.
Her father Manish performed native division cricket and all the time inspired her daughter to pursue the game.
“Dad has been my inspiration as he has always encouraged me to play the sport. I have learned from him how to tackle pressure situations. My family has always supported me. They have never forced me to do anything and have always backed me in pursuing my dreams,” Soumya, a commerce pupil of ordinary XII, mentioned.
Earlier this yr, in April, Soumya made her senior ladies’s debut for the state and has been an integral a part of the India U-19 ladies’s crew that can journey to South Africa for the inaugural Women’s U-19 World Cup in January.
“I am not thinking too much about the World Cup yet. I want to take it step by step. Every time I am getting an opportunity, I want to contribute and set a target so that it helps my team,” she mentioned.
“When I go out to bat, I don’t think too much. I just focus on my game and try to grab as many opportunities as possible.”
This strategy has helped her within the quadrangular collection and in opposition to New Zealand and forward of her first ICC occasion, Soumya desires to maintain issues easy and draw inspiration from her favorite cricketer – Virat Kohli.