'No matter what the situation is, he is always confident' - India U19 star Archana Devi on drawing inspiration from Ravichandran Ashwin

Women U-19 India team's Archana Devi has truly become a source of inspiration for the budding cricketers of the country. The U-19 women's team etched their name into the history books after beating England in the T20 World Cup on January 29.

Out of many girls who have made the country proud, one is 18-year-old Archana Devi. The bowling all-rounder was one of the star performers in the finals of the World Cup when India overcame England to become world champions. In a recent interview with BCCI TV, Archana talked about the players who inspired her on her journey.

The 18-year-old named veteran Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin as her role model. "I keep watching his bowling and how confident he is in his stride. No matter the situation, he is always confident," she said.

From overcoming challenges & winning the ICC Women's #U19T20WorldCup 🙌 🙌

From idolising @ashwinravi99 to getting tips from @imkuldeep18 👌 👌#TeamIndia's Archana Devi discusses all this and more 👍 👍 - By @ameyatilak

Full interview 🎥 🔽https://t.co/dK1VE8pEx7 pic.twitter.com/4zQECD9FXE

— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) February 4, 2023

She also mentioned the influence that Kuldeep Yadav had on her development. The 18-year-old revealed that she has been in touch with Yadav for tips, which have helped her tremendously. "Whenever I had a problem, he [Kuldeep Yadav] kept motivating me and helped me focusing on my goals," she added.

Never give up on your dreams: Archana Devi

The story of Archana’s rise to the pinnacle of success has been nothing but inspiring. Coming from a small village, the 18-year-old faced a lot of problems before getting to the point where she is now. Archana’s mother was the sole earner of the family after she lost her father to cancer and her brother to a snake bite.

During the interview, the right-arm offbreak bowler shared a message with the young viewers who aspire to be professional cricketers. She said, "Never give up on your dreams. Keep working hard, and you will surely reach your goal one day."

The 18-year-old provided Team India with two crucial breakthroughs in the World Cup final. She took the wickets of Grace Scrivens and Niamh Holland, which proved to be instrumental in the team winning the title.