Different strokes
View(s):Young cricket star from Panadura, Eshani Kaushalya on the game that has made her who she is and why women could be worthy of the male dominated sport
By Sonja Candappa
Eshani Kaushalya, 28, is known for her stocky, broad-shouldered build and as the new Sri Lankan cricket star, after smashing all those sixes at the ICC women’s world cup. She scored half-centuries against India and England in the games that Sri Lanka won and smashed 43 runs against South Africa in the playoff game.
Kaushalya has played in many domestic apart from the Women’s National team and the Women’s World XI (where she bats at number six), such as the Colts Cricket Club Women, Kurunegala Youth Cricket Club Women, Sri Lanka Women club and the Sri Lanka Navy Women’s team.
The right-hand batsman and right-arm medium pace bowler started her cricketing career at the tender age of sixteen. Hailing from Panadura, Kaushalya first played for the Lanka Women’s Cricket Club. In that same year (2000) she played for her first tournament while facing her Ordinary Level Examination.
“I was extremely nervous; after all I was just 16,” says Kaushalya. “But then as the game went on I got more comfortable because in the end I was just doing what I love the most. Right after each paper I would go for a match. I even messed up my O/Ls because of cricket. But I have never regretted it. It is this game that has made me who I am today.” She says she has always loved cricket, having played it as a child with her brothers. “There’s was never another sport I was interested in.”
A career in cricketing though tough was what Kaushalya always wanted, “Training is my life- actually cricket is my life! We have training five days of the week. We start in the morning and go on till after noon and then we have our gym work out in the evening. So actually we don’t really have time for a life apart from cricket,” she laughs. “I believe if you really want to be both home oriented and an international sportswoman then it is possible, but the only reason we think about a woman’s domestic role, aside from sport is because of our conservative culture and our way of viewing life.
If a sportsman can make his sporting career his priority, then so can a sportswoman.” Even though cricket takes up most of her time, Kaushalya says that her friends and family don’t feel left out-in fact they are her greatest support. “It was one of my friends, Anushka Samanli, who actually gave me the idea of playing for a domestic club. I used to watch her go for club training and she told me that if I’m interested then I should join too. If it wasn’t for her, I would not be sitting here now. So I’m very thankful to all my friends for being there for me at all times especialy Anushka.”
Although women’s cricket is just emerging in Sri Lanka and around the world, Kaushalya believes that perfomance is what will make the ladies version just as interesting as men’s cricket. “People started talking about us only after our match against England, even there it was performance. When I was bowling one of the English girls whacked me for a six, so when I was going into bat I figured that if they could hit sixes then so could we. I also believe that it is the unity of our team that makes us all perform better.”
“Most young girls are hesitant to join what is referred to as a man’s sport but I say don’t be afraid; if the sport is your passion then persue it and then the world will see that despite your gender, you are worthy of this great sport.”
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