Name Hindi: अमिता शर्मा / Gender Woman
Amita Sharma
The name Amita Sharma is synonymous with women’s cricket in India. She has been a consistent and vital part of the Indian Women’s Cricket Team over several years, helping to raise it from relative obscurity to international recognition.
Early Life and Entry into Cricket
Born on October 9, 1982, in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India, Amita was not initially interested in the sport that would become her career. Unlike many professional sports people who find their calling at an early age, she drifted into and found her passion for cricket during her teenage years.
Made aware of open selections for a local Under-19 team by a close friend, Amita decided to give it a try. Despite having no formal training or practice at that point, she managed to get selected owing to her raw talent and athleticism. Her rapid progress from there led to national attention just two years later.
Career Highlights
Amita made her debut for the Indian Women’s team at the youthful age of nineteen during their tour of England in 2002. Since then till today, she never looked back. Over the course of her illustrious career, she accomplished some remarkable feats and set benchmarks for fellow cricketers which include:
- Making her first half-century in international cricket off only 40 balls against Australia in February 2005.
- Becoming one of very fewer female cricketers to have played more than 100 One Day Internationals (ODIs) for India.
- Gaining a reputation as a hard-hitting middle-order batsman capable of turning matches single-handedly with her skills.
- A stalwart all-rounder performance of taking 74 wickets and scoring over 1,000 runs in ODIs.
- Breaking the record for the highest individual score by an Indian woman in T20 internationals with her superb knock of 90 not out against England in June 2012.
A Lasting Legacy
The determination and grit exhibited by Amita have undeniably set a precedence in the cricket fraternity and proved pivotal in opening Pandora’s box of opportunities for aspiring female cricketers. She continues to inspire countless young girls to pick up bats and balls across India even after retirement.
Nowadays, apart from helping budding talents shine bright at various coaching clinics conducted by BCCI, she is also known for sharing her valuable wisdom as a sports analyst in popular cricket talk shows on Indian television networks.
In conclusion, Amita Sharma – The phenomenal journey of this mercurial athlete stands testimony that passion coupled with perseverance can break new grounds regardless of one’s gender or background.
