Internet Desk: Not many Indian fans would have known Rajeshwari Gayakwad before her match winning spell in the do-or-die match against the White Ferns in the Women’s World Cup semi-final on Saturday. Playing her first match of the tournament, the left-arm orthodox spinner picked up five wickets giving away just 15 runs in 7.3 overs as India went on to beat the Kiwis by 186 runs and make it to the semi-final.
The 26 year old cricketer will miss his mentor and guide i.e., his father Shivanand, who inspired her to take cricket. For Rajeshwari, her first love was javelin and discuss throw. But her father insisted she took cricket and the rest is history. It was Rajeshwari’s spell that took India through to the semi-finals against New Zealand in Derby.
Hailing from a middle class family in Bijapur (Karnataka) , sport runs deep in the Gayakwad family. The youngest daughter Rameshwari is a state level cricketer in Karnataka and has also played for India Green. The eldest daughter, Bhuvaneshwari, is a hockey player and one of the brothers, Vishwanath, is a badminton and volleyball player while the Kashinath is a tabla player.
“Her dad was a force behind our children’s sporting careers. Sadly, he did not live to watch her best performance yesterday,” said Rajeshwari’s mother Savithri, speaking from Bijapur, where she watched the match with her two sons Kashinath and Vishwanath on Saturday.
“Shivanand had a massive heart attack while watching an IPL match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium a few years ago. Rajeshwari and Rameshwari were with him. He would have been overjoyed with her performance on Saturday,” the mother added.
“It is unfortunate that our dad is not here to watch this match but we are sure that his wishes and blessings are always with us,” both sisters, speaking from Bangalore, said.