'I grew up watching Irfan Pathan bowl' - Nandni Sharma reveals cricketers who inspired her

Young Indian seamer Nandni Sharma said that she grew up watching Irfan Pathan and admired the way he swung the ball and took wickets. She also revealed that the likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah have inspired her during her career.

When it comes to women's cricket, Sharma said she is a big fan of legendary South African all-rounder Marizanne Kapp's bowling attributes.

“I grew up watching Irfan Pathan sir bowl. The way he swung the ball and took wickets, that really made me want to do the same. Currently, I look up to Bhuvneshwar bhaiya and Bumrah paaji. The way they bowl with control and variations is something I try to learn from. In women’s cricket, I am a huge fan of Marizanne Kapp. She bowls with pace, hits the right areas, and always gives her best. Watching her inspires me to keep pushing myself," Nandni told JioStar.

Nandni Sharma said she began playing alongside the boys very early in her cricketing journey, and that helped her improve her craft quickly.

“The moment I started bowling; the coaches pushed me to play with the boys. I was the only girl among them. But that never stopped me. I played with them every single day. All our fielding sessions, batting practice, and bowling, everything used to happen with the boys, and that helped me improve quickly. They bowled fast, they hit the ball hard, and I had to raise my game to keep up. Fast bowling attracted me a lot at that time. Watching boys run in and bowl with pace felt really good. I wanted to do the same. That is the only reason I wanted to do fast bowling at that time," she added.

At one point, I thought about becoming a spinner: Nandni Sharma

Sharma revealed that she had contemplated becoming a spinner at one point in her career. She also admitted that fast bowling is a difficult art, where injuries are part and parcel of a bowler's life. However, the success she achieved as a fast bowler convinced her not to take up spin-bowling.

“At one point, I thought about becoming a spinner. The idea crossed my mind more than once. But things were going well in fast bowling. I was picking up wickets and getting better with every game. So, I didn’t pay much attention to that thought," she said.

“Fast bowling is very difficult. Injuries happen often. You must stay extra fit and take more care of your body. I used to think, should I change, should I try spin bowling? But then I would see myself succeeding with pace, and the thought of switching to spin would fade away. Wickets kept coming, and that gave me confidence," she added.