Target set: Sai, who won best batter award recently, targets place in Indian women’s cricket team in two years
By Paritosh Pramanik
INJURIES and ailments ruin many sportsperons’ careers. But for a lucky few it could turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Same is the story of Sai Rajesh Bhoyar, a national-level tennis champion in her age group who now
wants to make a career in women’s cricket.
Not even a year old in cricket, Sai has set a target of two years to don India colours. She has started hitting the red cherry to all parts of the field. In a recently held women’s cricket tournament she won best player award for hitting a century, a couple of half centuries and clobbering over 200 runs (231) from five games. In her first competitive cricket tournament — Women’s T20 organised by Gitanjali Sporting Club — Sai scored runs at an average of 57.75 and a whopping strike rate of 150.98 which had 42 boundaries. For her heroics, she was named as the Most Valuable Player and Best Batswoman of the Tournament. Not a mean achievement given that there were several Vidarbha U-19 and U-23 players participating in the tournament.
A video of Sai batting in the nets shows how composed she is while playing the drives, pull shots and backfoot defence.
It was not that she got tired of playing tennis day in and day out. The ‘switch’ was a forced one for her after discovery of an ailment. Despite being unwell, Sai managed to win Khelo India Youth Games 2020 bronze medal, her last in tennis.
The 17-year-old has won almost all the tennis titles in her age categories. She could have still achieved more in the racquet sport in coming years. But life dealt a cruel blow when she suffered vertigo problem in 2019 which forced her to leave the racquet and pick up the cricket bat.
Doctors prescribed medicines but that gave only temporary relief. The COVID-19 lockdown in March, 2020 gave Sai time to recuperate.
After a few months, she thought she had overcome it. But the ailment struck back during the Sports Authority of India camp in Delhi which she had to leave mid-way.
Doctors said that any jerk or sudden body movement would increase the problem, though it won’t be life-threatening. It was then that Bhoyars decided to switch the sport.
Though Sai still plays tennis and is a regular at Nagpur District Hardcourt Tennis Association courts, she has decided to play cricket and that too at the highest level.
“The Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) for which there is no medicine in the world, forced us to think about other sports. Sai loves cricket and always prefers watching it on TV. She is very excited with the switch,” said Rajesh Bhoyar, Sai’s father while talking with ‘The Hitavada’ at their Bharat Nagar residence.
Sai’s brother Satyam is an Under-25 Vidarbha all-rounder and is knocking the senior team’s door with his superlative performance. Sai wants to join Satyam in the white flannels, probably becoming the only brother-sister duo in the country to play First-Class cricket.
A quick learner that she is, Sai has picked the nuances of cricket very fast and is knocking the ball really hard, if her father is to be believed.
“Being a tennis player has helped Sai a lot. She knows at what speed the balls come, though the speed is far less than a tennis shot.
“Sai hits the ball really hard and has injured me thrice,” said Rajesh who coaches her at Jawahar Cricket Academy situated at Katol Road.
“Though she used to play with her brother in our courtyard, she picked the basics in no time,” added Rajesh who himself is a former junior Vidarbha and Nagpur University cricketer.
“I train her daily and I am sure she will make Vidarbha women’s team next season,” he hoped.
Sai herself is excited. “I love cricket and enjoying the training at present. I do not regret leaving tennis. Injuries are part and parcel of a sportsperson. Careers get ruined and there are many sportspersons who could not play any sport after injury. I am lucky that I can continue playing a sport,” she explained.
Bhoyars always dreamt of Sai playing a Grand Slam but lack of financial assistance from any authority and paucity of sponsors is one of the reasons for switching to cricket.
“Neither the federation nor the state body provides financial assistance to tennis players. If Sai wants to play a Grand Slam, which we in the family always dreamt of, she would need to play as many ranking tournaments as she can. But for that we need lakhs of rupees which is near to impossible,” admitted Rajesh.
“Also there are very few ITF and WTA organised tournaments in India,” he rued.
“(But) it is completely different in cricket. The BCCI pays even to the age group players. For a parent, half of their worries are solved after financial assurance. If Sai performs well with the bat and learns the tricks of trade, she should be in the Indian women’s team in two years,” prayed Rajesh.
“In tennis, a player mostly plays as a professional. In the coming days, cricket is bound to be included in the Commonwealth Games and Olympics and there is a great chance for Sai to represent the country at the highest level. She is a very hard worker and I am sure she would make the grade,” Rajesh signed off.
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Sai’s Major Achievements in Tennis
Best all India Rankings U-14: 7th (2018) U-16: 5th (2020) U-18: 10th (2021)
Won over 25 All India Championships in U-14, U-16, U-18 organised by AITA
Won Asian U-14 Girls Doubles Championship twice
Silver medallist in U-14 and U-17 School Nationals and U-17 CBSE Nationals
Silver medallist in Khelo India Youth Games, 2019
Bronze medallist Khelo India Youth Games, 2020
Awarded Future Prospect Scholarship by MSLTA
Received Annual Performance Award of MSLTA twice
Felicitated by Mah Govt for winning medals in KIYG in 2019 and 2020
Selected for U-18 India camp in 2021 by AITA, SAI and Sports Ministry
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