It is not often that you play your first tournament for the senior state team, become top scorer and get a maiden India call-up as well. While for some it sounds ridiculously difficult, Jharkhand’s Indrani Roy begs to differ. Indrani, who is still to get an Indian passport has been picked in all three teams (ODI, Tests and T20Is) for India Women’s England tour in June.
The young wicketkeeper-batter credited former India men's skipper, MS Dhoni, for his advice, which helped her maximise her potential. Talking about a chance meeting with the former India player and current skipper of the Chennai Super Kings, Indrani said, “During a training session in Ranchi sometime last year, I had a long conversation with Mahi Sir about how to improve my game.”
She further added that Dhoni advised her to work on her reflexes, “He had told me that I should ensure that I improve my reflexes and movement in the five-metre radius. For wicketkeepers, that’s a key thing and he advised me that I should try and get better. That actually helped me,” she added while speaking to Sportstar.
Roy, who was born Lilua in West Bengal, moved to Jharkhand at a young age to pursue her cricketing career as she and her parents believed that the neighbouring state had greater opportunities than their own.
The decision seems to be bearing fruit as in her very first tournament for Jharkhand, the 23-year-old became one of the main reasons for the state’s first-ever appearance in the final of the prestigious Senior Women’s One Day Trophy.
“Learning a thing or two from a legend like Mahi Sir is a privilege and his advice actually helped me improve my game. Every time I hit the ground, I try to remember his tips,” said Roy who scored 456 runs in eight matches at an outstanding average of 76 and with two hundred in her kitty.