Indian left-arm spinner Ekta Bisht is the cynosure of all attention after her brilliant 5/18 was instrumental in bowling Pakistan out for just 74 in their key World Cup match in Derby on Sunday. India, having been restricted to 169/9, thus managed to win by a handsome 95-run margin.
The 31-year-old, who hails from Almora in Uttarakhand, recorded the best bowling figures by an Indian at the Women’s World Cup. Yet, it’s not been an easy journey for the left-arm spinner, either for her or for her parents.
According to a report on Tuesday in the Times of India, Bisht’s father Kundan Singh Bisht opened a tea stall in Almora to ensure that his daughter’s dreams of playing cricket remained on course. An ex-Army officer, Bisht took this action to supplement his pension of Rs 1,500 after he retired from the force.
“Ekta started playing cricket when she was just six. From then on, her love for the sport only grew,” said Bisht, according to the report. “We were sure that she would do the country proud and she has done just that since she joined the national team in 2011”.
Her mother Tara added, “She loved the sport so much that she started playing cricket with boys. People would come and watch because she was the only girl in a team of boys. It put a strain on our finances but we supported her fully. She was a responsible child and would save the money we gave her during trials”.
The story had an happy ending though.
“Our finances improved after she was selected for the cricket team as sponsors started pouring in,” said Ekta’s mother. “Eventually, my husband’s pension also increased and we could finally shut down the tea stall.”