Field Vision

Parunika Sisodia, a Gen Z cricketer, carries a pristine and jolly nature. Baby-faced, with a grin on her face, yet displays an utter tranquility, she has a way of connecting with everyone, binding them together, and carries an earnestness in full flow. In what feels like just moments, you realize she is a very fine explainer. It’s not what you expect from someone of her age but your awareness of that gap only makes you wonder how she got to be this thoughtful.

On the field, she is unabashed and cerebral, always seeking solutions in the contest. As a slow left-arm bowler, she deceives batters with a rich variety of variations. Her arm ball from over the wicket drifts into right-handers and often hits middle stump, while her turning deliveries move away just enough to trouble them. With the bat, she is quick to judge the trajectory and length, moves into line, locks her eyes on the ball, and shows her ways to tackle the threat of spin in the death.

She has already been a winner, lifting the World Cup with the U-19 Indian team in Malaysia. Alongside Vaishnavi Sharma and Aayushi Shukla, the left-arm trio combined for 41 wickets, each surprising opponents with their clattering stock ball. She also tasted success with Mumbai Indians in the Women’s Premier League, coming in as an injury replacement for Pooja Vastrakar.

Parunika is a talented cricketer with the base and quality to rise as a top player, and Field Vision gets a rare opportunity to interact with a prodigy.

Q: Parunika, in multiple interviews you mentioned that you were an aspiring tennis player from a young age and used to hate cricket. How were you introduced to sports, and what was the breakthrough moment when you thought you could make the switch?

Parunika: I started playing tennis because of my dad. I used to see him give cricket coaching to different students, and I would go out with him during summer camps. During that time, women’s cricket started coming on television, including the World Cup. I could watch those and wonder, “Okay, girls can play this sport.” I was someone who used to hate cricket, so for me to jump into cricket was a big decision. I started off by playing with my brother and with kids in my father’s academy. I knew that I had changed my game (switched the sport), and I had to be there and set my goals according to it. This is my profession now. I have good guidance, good coaching, and good facilities. I need to work on myself, commit to this game, and enjoy it.

Q: India at the age-group level was dominant throughout the campaign, with every member contributing a significant chunk in the triumph. What made it even more special was the off-field bonding, especially the cutest group picture of the team that everyone in Internet loved. Can you tell us more about that?

Parunika: We were all very excited about that photoshoot. Obviously, we were wearing the Indian jersey, so it was a very exciting moment. We had already planned that day to have a different photoshoot from other teams. Everyone else had those serious looks, so we thought we would smile. We were confident in what we do, and we were going to be ourselves there. All of us were bonded with dancing and music, and we used to laugh and have fun together. Suddenly, someone got the idea that we should make stairs of us, one on top of another. It started with me, Mithila, Sanika, Trisha, Anandita and Niki, and then everybody joined. That became our team pic.

Q: In the must-win game against North Delhi, your entry point was 95/8, and the equation was 21 from 10 balls at one point. You changed it to 14 from 6 balls, then 5 from 4 balls. This is usually a hard situation to pull off, and often the equation tilts more toward the bowling team. Can you recall the sequence of that game and how you managed to pull it off?

Parunika: I just knew where they had the field, and I had that much confidence. I gave singles to Soni di (Captain) because she is a good hitter. Then what happened was she gave me a single, and North Delhi kept the mid-on fielder up. I knew this was my area, they had opened it, and I was going to hit there. Soni di approached me and said, “Wherever you are going to hit, hit it wholeheartedly. Do not go half-hearted anywhere.” I replied, “Okay di, I’m gonna do that.” As soon as I hit that shot.

(Archana, left-arm orthodox, pitched it outside off stump, Parunika moved into the line of the ball and attempted a cross-batted shot to clear mid-on).

After that shot, I told Soni di, “We are going to win this game.” That one fielding change gave me a lot of confidence.

Question: You had spent time with Nat Sciver, Melie Kerr, and coach Charlotte Edwards, who are personalities that know what it takes to triumph. You were also part of the Mumbai Indians camp and a championship team. Can you tell us more about the learnings you took from them?

Parunika: With Nat Sciver, Amelia Kerr and Charlotte Edwards, they told me to be calm in every situation, and you should always have a plan B and a plan D every time you go on the field. They always told me to enjoy myself on and off the field, and you should always have that switch when you have to bring the focus mode on and when you have to be free. That is something I learned from them especially, when they are on the field, their attitude, batting and their skills are what I learned from them.

Question: As you transition from age-group level to the senior level, the game transforms into a stage where you cannot solely depend on skillset. You have to upgrade yourself to become a good problem solver and use your aptitude to handle match situations. Being aware and how your mind syncs plays an important role in dealing with crunch moments, like you did against North Delhi. How important do you think mental strength and game sense are compared to pure skill?

Parunika: Cricket nowadays is not about skills, it is more about how your brain works, how smart and aware you are on the field. Everybody is skilled enough, everybody has their strengths and weaknesses. It is up to you to go with your strength and target their weakness, which might even be your weakness as well. Sometimes you need to change accordingly. You need both, the right amount of skill and the right amount of mental strength to be on the field.

Q: Coming from a multi-sport background, starting with tennis and now cricket, which athletes have been your role models?

Parunika: Sania Mirza in tennis revolutionized sports in this country. I look up to her as a role model. There are Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana, and in the left-arm spin section there is Radha Yadav. I also look up to Sophie Ecclestone and I want to bowl and replicate feats like her.

Parunika has also been part of Central Delhi in the Women’s Delhi Premier League. The team finished runner-up after losing the final to South Delhi Superstarz by just 1 run. Her role throughout the campaign was crucial in taking her side to the final.