Fighting male bastion, Bharti finally strikes it big

NAGPUR: Twelve years ago, a girl was hitting the ball with power while playing 'gully cricket' with boys. They were finding it hard to dismiss her. Soon, she hit a powerful shot on the off side and broke the headlight of a bike. The bike rider was surprised to see that it was a girl who broke the headlight. Her father Shrikrushna and mother Jyoti Fulmali then decided to send their eldest daughter for professional coaching.
On Thursday, facing her third ball in international cricket Bharti Fulmali danced down the wicket and smashed England off-spinner Laura Marsh over her head for a boundary. These were her first international runs.
Bharti became only the second Vidarbha female cricketer after Mona Meshram to represent the country during the second Twenty20 International at Guwahati on Thursday. While she made a 20-ball 18 till she ran out of partners, Bharti impressed on her maiden international appearance. Not once she looked unconvincing and always looked for scoring opportunities.
It's been quite a journey for this 24-year-old cricketer. The path from a 12-year-old to a professional cricketer wasn't easy but Bharti never gave up, kept believing in her abilities, worked hard and realized her dream. When Bharti's father, a school teacher, took her for professional coaching, not many were willing to take her.
"I took her to a prominent club but they said they don't coach girls. Then somebody told me about World Cricket Academy, Amravati, managed by Romi Bhinder Sir, where she learnt the basics. Then Dinanath Nawathe of Hanuman Vyayam Prasarak Mandal trained her. Now, Sandeep Gawande of Sant Gajanan Cricket Academy, Amravati, is looking after her. Gawande Sir has helped her a lot," the senior Fulmali told TOI.
After learning the nuances of the game from Gawande, Bharti grew in confidence. Her life changed when Vidarbha Cricket Association conducted trials and she was immediately picked up by the selectors. Once she entered the Vidarbha fold, there was no looking back for Bharti. "She was the first girl from Amravati to play for Vidarbha. Now, around 40-50 girls are playing in various categories. She has inspired so many girls to take up the game. Hopefully, she continues to play for the country," Gawande said.
Bharti played for Vidarbha Under-19 when she was just 13. While she got dropped after the first season, the right-hand bat never gave up. Her former teammate Priyanka Acharya said it's her never-say-die attitude that helped Bharti to reach this far. "She wasn't the one who catches your eye at first sight. She worked very hard on her game. She hits inside out shots, something very uncommon in women's cricket. Her running between the wickets is akin to (MS) Dhoni and she is a lighting quick fielder. Also, when we would practice at Vidyavihar ground, she would hit some big sixes. We had given her name 'Lady Gayle'. Basically, she is a complete package," Acharya said.
The current season has been a productive one for Bharti. She did well for Vidarbha in One-dayers and got selected in the Challengers Trophy. She emerged the second highest run-getter in the tournament and her gutsy 69 almost took India Blues to a title victory.
Bharti's fighting innings caught the eye of cricket equipment manufacturers BDM, who decided to sponsor her along with her India teammate Harleen Deol. BDM owner Aditya Mahajan was very impressed with Bharti's strokeplay. "We had heard about Bharti's talent. However, when we saw her during Challengers, we were impressed and thought of sponsoring her. At that stage, she needed best facilities and equipment. I am glad, Bharti made her international debut soon. She was impressive today. I wish her good luck," Mahajan said.