Indian cricketer Ravi Kalpana reveals how she fought against an early marriage

Ravi Venkateswarlu Kalpana has often been regarded as a promising Indian cricketer. The way she has shaped her game places her well ahead of most youngsters in the country. But the journey hasn’t been easy and the wicketkeeper batswoman from Andhra Pradesh revealed her early struggles and how she overcame them.

Having made her debut for the women in blue against the Kiwis in 2015, Kalpana has just played 7 games so far. It was not just the hardship on the field but being a girl she also had to deal with constant family pressure to get married. She was able to convince her parents to push the wedding away and terms that as her most memorable win thus far.

Most memorable win

“My most memorable win is so far to convince my family and stop my marriage which could have happened almost abruptly.” she was quoted as saying by MyKhel.com.

Kalpana recalled that she had to fight against her parents and the society who were pressurising her to get married. Being a daughter of an auto rickshaw driver and surviving with another sister meant there were a lot of financial problems to deal with.

“Those days were horrible, I can’t exactly remember whether I turned 18. But my parents and relatives were putting pressure on me for marriage. Actually, we all were struggling financially. That could have been a reason why my father wanted me to get married so that I could be well-off,” looking back at the days Kalpana added.

Coach’s help

However, she explained the situation to her coach, and it was he who managed to convince her parents.

“But I was adamant and explained my coach Srinivas Reddy about the whole situation. He came and talked to my parents and convinced that I would continue playing cricket and also continue my studies.”

Eventually, she got her break to represent the state team. Kalpana subsequently started getting an allowance of Rs 4000 from the Andhra Pradesh Cricket Association (APCA). Currently, working for the Indian Railways, she has shifted to Secundrabad.

Further, she revealed that her favourite wicketkeeper is Indian legend MS Dhoni. She cherishes a picture with the captain cool. Kalpana also vowed to make it into the Indian squad for the upcoming tours, including the WT20.