Ahead of the Women’s Premier League Auction a few names, including that of 22-year-old Vrinda Dinesh, were doing the round as players who could potentially steal the limelight in Mumbai come the auction day. And as expected Dinesh did steal the limelight with a whopping price tag of INR 1.3 crore – second only to her teammate Kashvee Gautam and Australia’s Annabel Sutherland’s price tag of INR 2 Crore at this year’s auction.
On the day of the auction, Dinesh was in Raipur, training for the ongoing U-23 Women’s T20I tournament. Gujarat Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore got into bidding to acquire the services of the batter before UP Warriorz swooped in late in the piece to outbid the other two franchises.
From a base price of INR 10 lakh, Dinesh could hardly believe her final price when she was informed about it by her teammates.
“I overheard my teammates whispering and I thought it was 1. 3 lakhs and then I was like, ‘That’s impossible.’ Then, it just hit me that it is ‘crores’ and it’s something I never imagined," Dinesh told News18 CricketNext in an exclusive interview.
She added that she would have been more than happy to have been picked up at the base price itself.
“I was happy even if I was picked at the base price (Rs 10 lakh) because I just wanted to play. As soon as I heard that, my teammates, who were batting in the nets… everyone left everything and gave me a big hug. We all smiled and laughed about it," she said.
And after the initial euphoria at Raipur, it was her mother who Dinesh called up first to share the news.
“The first call I made was to my mom. I’ve always wanted to make them [family] proud so I just wanted to hear how they felt because they were the ones who were seeing the auctions. It was nice. It is a moment that I’m going to remember for the rest of my life," Dinesh said.
The Waiting Game
Dinesh comes from a family fond of cricket. Her father, her uncle and her cousins; played the game at a certain level and was natural for her to pick it up as well.
In 2013, S Dinesh – Vrinda’s father – took his daughter to a cricket academy. Until then, Dinesh, like any other cricketer in India was a gully cricket regular. And did not take long for Dinesh to transition to season ball cricket and in a matter of five years, she became a prominent figure in Karnataka’s age-group teams, even graduating to the senior team.
But it has not always been smooth sailing for her. She had to warm benches for close to two years in the senior team, despite an early debut, but she persisted and persevered.
“It was, I think, pre-COVID where we had this under 23 tournament and I got over three 50s there.
“But I was also picked for the senior squad and I was, I was on the bench for a long time. I thought I would probably get a game somewhere. But it took me two years. Those two years, I worked so hard… all I could think of was trying to play the next game," she said
“It took me 2 years to be able to do that. And once I got that, I didn’t want to let go of that opportunity. And I think that was the first time Karnataka reached the finals in the one-dayers. I’m grateful that I didn’t get to play in those two years, as it built the character that I am today," she added.
Earlier, this year, Dinesh scored 477 runs at an average of 47.70 in 11 innings to lead Karnataka to the Senior Women’s ODI title and as luck would have it when an unlikely opportunity presented itself in front of her during the ACC Emerging Teams Cup in Hong Kong, she seized the opportunity with both hands, leading to call ups for trails in various WPL teams.
Batting at No.3 against Bangladesh, she smashed a 29-ball 36 with the help of 5 boundaries and a six.
The knock led to an invitation from the scouts to attend WPL trials for all five franchises. Dinesh attended all of them but liked UP Warriorz the most.
“I’m grateful to the UP Warriorz. I’ve played with them before. I was really happy with how they conducted this. How they taught me a few skills. I was just really happy to be able to play the WPL. UP Warriors was a franchise; when the trials were held, I liked it. So, I was really happy to be picked by them and looking forward to giving my best and doing everything I can to help them win this tournament," she said.
‘Batting with Alisa Healy, it’s always been a dream’
UP Warriorz is a star-studded camp. Deepti Sharma, Alyssa Healy, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Ecclestone… and now, Dinesh is going to be a part of it too. The 22-year-old is excited and nervous in equal measure to share the dressing room with the big players.
“I am excited and I’m equally nervous to be able to play one of the best bowlers like Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Bell… face them in the nets, it’s something I’ll have to come prepared for," she said.
“Batting with Alisa Healy, it’s always been a dream. I’ve always looked up to her. So, it’s gonna be both excitement and nervousness," she added.
‘No price tag pressure, just want to give 100 per cent’
Dinesh though knows that it is just the beginning and she cannot get carried away and has to be focused on the job at hand.
“Whether it’s the price that I’ve got or not, I, I have to be responsible about the way I play, um, you know, to be able to take the team forward. It is a responsibility that I like, and I like to play with. The price tag is not going to make much of a difference to me because I just want, I’m here to enjoy the sport," Dinesh said.
“I’m just gonna be there and take in everything, be happy, enjoy the game, and give it my best."
‘UP Warriorz has a happy vibe’
A Virat Kohli fan, Dinesh likes the RCB as well. Her close friend, Shreyanka Patil, plays for the franchise and she had already asked her a ton of questions about RCB. But, she felt a completely different vibe with the Warriorz.
“I’m a big fan of RCB. I love Virat Kohli and everything about RCB. But I’ve also liked UP Warriors a lot because I’ve been with them and you know, that atmosphere feels very welcome. It’s a very nice and happy vibe. So, I was looking forward to being picked by UP Warriors and here I am," Dinesh said.
Team India – the ultimate goal
Similar to IPL, WPL could very well prove to be the pathway to the Indian Women’s National Team and Dinesh is looking forward to improving her game which she can carry with her to the Indian dressing room one day.
“I do have those aspirations. It’s always been a dream to play for the country and it will always be. But I’m also trying to take it one thing at a time. Whatever experience I get from the WPL, I want to put it into practice while playing for my country one day and probably winning a lot of matches for the country," she concluded.
