Ridiculed for playing cricket, this 18-year-old from UP village spun India to victory in U-19 women's World Cup
From village outcast to World Cup hero: Archana Devi's spin magic silences doubters and ignites cricket fever in her village
- When 18-year-old Archana Devi from an Uttar Pradesh village wanted to play cricket, her mother was ridiculed for putting her on the ‘wrong path’
- On January 29, Archana took two crucial wickets in the final of the Women’s Under-19 World Cup, taking the team to victory
- Archana lost her father at a young age and battled severe poverty before being scouted by a teacher for her cricketing talents
- In 2016, she started training in Kanpur where she was supported financially by her coach and others from the fraternity
- Her coach launched her on a streak of taking wickets by asking her to shift to spin from medium pace
Savitri Devi was labelled a witch by the villagers of Ratai Purwa in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao district. Cancer claimed her husband in 2008, and in 2017, she lost one of her sons to snake bite. Her relatives ridiculed her for putting her daughter on galat rasta or the wrong path. On January 29, this so-called wrong path led her daughter Archana Devi to taking two crucial wickets in the final of the Women’s Under 19 World Cup in South Africa, which India went on to win.
This is the story of one of the rising stars in women’s cricket in India, 18-year-old bowling all-rounder, Archana Devi. In the World Cup final in South Africa, she took the wickets of England’s Grace Scrivens and Niamh Holland. Back in her village, where her family was once alienated and shamed, celebrations were in full swing.