Panaji: When Pooja Kalel was born, she was considered, in her brother’s words, “apshagun” or bad omen.That’s how many see left-handers in Sangli, Maharashtra, where Pooja’s parents are based but divide their time between home and Goa, where they work as labourers to build roads. Across different cultures, left-handedness is often viewed with deep suspicion and thought to bring bad luck to the family.
Pooja, though, is different and has now made her family proud by breaking into the Goa senior women’s cricket team at just 12 years, a rare achievement for a youngster of her age.Last month, just a few days short of her 13th birthday, Pooja made it to the senior state cricket team and picked up wickets at the Senior Women’s One Day Trophy Elite cricket tournament, where she was up against some of the country’s best cricketers.“I knew I would get my chance so when the ball was handed to me, I did not panic,” Pooja told TOI at her Porvorim residence. “The coaches had told me to do the simple things right; like bowling in the right spot and maintaining my line and length.”On her debut against Delhi, Pooja bowled just three overs and went wicketless, giving away 33 runs. Against Hyderabad in the next game, she bowled seven overs and picked up a wicket, while she also had success against Kerala. Against Punjab and Tripura, she was trusted to bowl her full quota of 10 overs.“She didn’t get too many wickets but bowlers at the other end were successful because she was bowling with lot of discipline,” her brother Dhanaji told TOI. “We are grateful that the coaches showed lot of trust at such a young age, and the association backed the call.”Had it not been for Dhanaji, Pooja’s journey would have never kicked off.Born in Porvorim, Pooja spent her initial years in Sangli, but being a left-hander, she was often beaten up because, as her brother explained, “left-handed people in the village are considered apshagun”.Dhanaji, whose dream to play cricket professionally ended with a ligament tear, saw his sister differently.A left-handed women cricketer can be a blessing, particularly if she can bowl off-spin. He got her to Goa three years ago, enrolled her at the nearby L D Samant Memorial High School and started training her, sometimes unforgiving in his approach.“Had she continued in Sangli, probably she would have had to marry at a young age. It’s quite common,” Dhanaji said.He said that he set high standards while training his sister, “every single day, for six to eight hours, never missing training, even if any of us were unwell or there was a feast or occasion to celebrate.”“Missing training was out of question,” said her brother, who had to drop out of school due to financial issues and take up a part-time job.It was difficult for the Kalel siblings. With limited money in hand, Dhanaji even had to borrow from friends and well-wishers. When he had enough, he bought plenty of cricket balls and made Pooja bowl almost 2,000 deliveries a day.The results soon began to show. In local tournaments, Pooja made a name for herself, winning the best bowler or player of the tournament honours regularly. When she won the best bowler award at the Goa Girls Premier League, she got noticed by the Goa Cricket Association (GCA). It first inducted her into the state U-15 team, then U-23 and finally the senior women’s cricket team.“The next goal is to make it to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) camp from where players get selected for the India U-19 team. I have to keep performing,” said Pooja.Should Pooja eventually make it to the national cricket team, she will emulate India’s star batter Smriti Mandhana, who was born in Mumbai but spent her formative years in Sangli, where her family had moved. That would be quite a journey for someone who was once ridiculed for being left-handed, and even considered a bad omen for the family.
