Women's Cricket Exclusive: Clean glovework, blistering hits and Hrishita Basu

Wicket-keepers are now the main all-rounder in the team when it comes to modern-day cricket. As a keeper, you now need to score runs, save some runs, make some run-outs and take some catches as well. Bengal's U-19 wicket-keeper batter Hrishita Basu is ready to do it all to book a place in the ICC U-19 Women's World Cup. She has been called up for the high-performance camp at the NCA as a preparation for the said tournament along with her fellow Bengal teammates Titas Sadhu and Bidisha Dey.

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Hrishita Basu, the 18-year-old wicket-keeper who idolises MS Dhoni hails from Bakultala, Howrah in West Bengal. She has been practising at LRS Bangla Cricket Academy since her early days. The free academy which is run by former Bengal captain, Laxmi Ratan Shukla has made her tougher day by day to make her ready for the bigger stages.

"We are extremely happy with her progress. She is a natural athlete. If you look at her on the field, you would see her diving just like boys. So, we just had to work on her other aspects of the game. She has done quite well in U-19s games and also impressed each and everyone in the Byju's T20 Challenge as well. We wish her all the success. We hope that she will do well in the camp and get selected for the U-19 World Cup," a statement from LRS Bangla Cricket Academy stated.

Hrishita just like other aspiring cricketers from Bengal wants to have the fighting spirit of Laxmi Ratan Shukla in her. "You know how sir is all about working hard on fitness. We are always told that if we are fit we can do anything on the field. So, we work hard on our fitness each day to be the best version of ourselves," Hrishita told Sportz Point.

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Earlier, Hirshita had spent nearly a month at the National Cricket Academy and learnt a few tricks to get better as a wicket-keeper. "I became more efficient taking those away catches, especially to the leg spinners. So, I would say that was a new addition to my wicket-keeping," Hrishita added.

Moreover, to get ahead of her competition, Hrishita is learning a few ways to get those quick run-outs just like her idol MS Dhoni. "I am working on those quick run-outs, fast stumping and quick foot movements as these are vital aspects of the game now," she expressed.

Along with her keeping, Hrishita is making herself ready as a fielder as well. "You never know what happens. So, I want to make myself ready for every opportunity. I am working hard on my out-fielding as well. So, that even I can play as a pure batter as well."

In that case, staying on the field and becoming agile gets more important as a cricketer. That is why she is doing more fielding sessions at the LRS Bangla Cricket Academy along with her other skills to become more efficient at that.

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Along with her keeping and fielding, Hrishita wants to add more shots to her batting. "Everybody who follows my game knows how I am strong with my conventional sweeps and leg-side game. So, I worked with the coaches at the NCA and now developing my reverse-sweep as well. They all used to put three fielders to stop my sweep. Hence, I had to add more shots to my armoury to get ahead of my opponents," she added.

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Although she wants to do her best as an all-rounder for her team, she feels wicket-keeping is her first job. The batting comes as an addition to that. "I feel wicket-keeping is my first priority. I want to contribute with those quick runs for the team. But, I feel I am at my best when I am clean with my glovework. I want to get better day by day at both the skills," Hrishita expressed.

Hrishita comes from a Bengali family and her brother was her first influence on cricket. He used to play cricket at the second division club level in Kolkata. Though everyone in her family was happy to get the news of her selection to the camp, she wants to make each and everyone proud by getting selected for the U-19 World Cup.