At just 21 years of age, Anusha Bareddy Malli from Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, stands as a promising left-arm all-rounder, recently earning her spot in Team India’s roster. Here’s an account of her journey in her own words.
I grew up in Bandlapalli, a small village in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh. My parents, Lakshmi Devi and Malli Reddy, work as farmers and labourers, tending to crops. They’re wonderful, simple folks who didn’t know much about things outside our village, the last thing on their minds being cricket. But they always believed in me, making it easy for me to follow my passion. Even when others in our family advised them against sending me for cricket coaching, my parents stood by my side. I have an older brother who runs a cold drinks shop.
In 2016, when I was studying in class 8 at ZP High School, I found my love for sports during the games periods. Among all the choices in sports, cricket interested me the most. I began playing at school, and things started picking up when our team won a match in the Rural Development Trust (RDT) tournament, and I was named the player of the match.
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Later, I joined an RDT Summer Camp and then competed at district and state levels. But where I lived, there weren’t any proper cricket facilities, and my family didn’t have extra money to spend on my sports training. During summer breaks, I attended the RDT workshop for 20 days and worked on people’s farms for 30 days, earning Rs 100 a day. Out of the Rs 3,000 I earned, I gave some to my family and saved some for cricket. My school’s PT Teacher, Ravindra, gave me immense support. He encouraged me to join the RDT academy. This decision was a game-changer. Interestingly, my inspiration in cricket was all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.
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Spending nearly six years at the RDT academy (from 2017 to 2022) helped me immensely. They provided free coaching and school education, which allowed me to focus on studying along with cricket training. I started travelling a lot, and managing tournaments and studies got tough. I carried my books everywhere. Recently, I earned a B.Com degree.
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From district matches to regional cricket in south India, and finally being chosen among 14 girls for Team India was a dream come true. Representing India at the Under 23 Emerging Asia Cup in 2023 and winning at the Asian Games this year were big moments for me. I felt a huge change coming in my life. Now, I earn through professional cricket and support my family. It all started with about Rs 4 lakh a year, but now that I play internationally, it’s a lot more.
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All photos have been shared by Anusha Bareddy Malli.
Teesta Rajan is the Associate Director of Village Vibe at Village Square. She is passionate about food, travel and culture.