Franchise cricket keeps you in the game: Shikha Pandey
Shikha Pandey's experience will be crucial for UP Warriorz in the Women's Premier League, as she remains a top performer despite recent absence from T20Is.
New Delhi: For a team looking to right the wrongs of the past three years, banking upon Shikha Pandey’s experience will be key for new-look UP Warriorz in the upcoming edition of the Women’s Premier League.
It didn’t matter to Abhishek Nayar and Co that Pandey hadn’t played a T20I for India since February 2023. That she still remains the top-wicket taker among Indian pace bowlers in the last three seasons of the WPL – 30 wickets in 27 matches at an economy of 6.96 – spoke enough about her quality.
Her numbers and consistency at WPL and at the domestic level were bound to attract bids at the auction but very few expected her to be the third most expensive buy at the auction at ₹2.4 Cr.
“I expected teams to bid for me but I didn’t expect it to be that high. I’m not someone who thinks too much about these things. I was just happy to be valued ,” Pandey told HT.
Pandey has been plying her trade for T20 franchises around the world such as the Women’s Caribbean League and Women’s Big Bash League. The 36-year-old recently played all four games for Trinbago Knight Riders in the WCPL and finished as their top wicket-taker with five wickets and an economy rate of 6.73.
“I’ve been fortunate to play in so many tournaments. Not many Indian players have had or grabbed these opportunities. I hope more cricketers, especially those outside the national setup, get these chances,” she said.
“Franchise cricket keeps you in the game. I still play domestic cricket for Baroda. I see myself as blessed as it’s a one-off case (in India) but internationally, a lot of players like Laura Harris and Amanda-Jade Wellington (Australia) do it,” she added.
Yin and Yang
At Warriorz, there will be familiar faces for Pandey. Meg Lanning captained her at Delhi Capitals. She played alongside Deepti Sharma for India, Deandra Dottin for TKR.
“I enjoyed working under Meg, she was a great captain when I played for DC. I hope we can continue doing what we did best,” she said. “I’ve never been on the same team as Sophie (Ecclestone) or Phoebe (Litchfield) so that will be nice.”
Warriorz already have a solid spin attack with Deepti, Ecclestone and Asha Sobhana but Pandey’s wisdom is expected to complement her pace-bowling partner Kranti Gaud’s fiery youth.
“I’m happy to see how Kranti has progressed. She’s really talented and will only get better. It’ll be nice to learn from her too. In the camp, there’s all-rounder Suman Meena too… Having fruitful conversations with the bowling unit is something I look forward to.”
India dream
Even as Pandey stamps her authority as one of the best pacers in the country, she hasn’t been part of the national set-up. However, she isn’t fixated on her return and the focus remains on bettering herself.
In her formative years, it was about bowling quantity and volume. Today, confidence in her skills and preparation takes precedence.
“Honestly, I’m happy where I am. I’m not a long-term planner. I want to be the best I can and control what’s in my hands,” she said. “The India question is a no-brainer... everyone wants to represent their country. But I believe in doing what’s in our control and the rest will take care of itself.”
