Different as chalk and cheese, Arundhati and Sree Charani find common goal in World Cup

New Delhi, Sep 27 (PTI) Pacer Arundhati Reddy drew inspiration from legendary Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni during her formative years, while Sri Charani made the transition from athletics to cricket, but now they want to rise above their diverse background and make an impact for India in the Women's ODI World Cup at home, beginning on Tuesday.

India will face Sri Lanka in Guwahati on September 30 to kick off the Women's ODI World Cup.

For 28-year-old Arundhati, inspiration came from India's T20 World Cup win in the inaugural edition in 2007 and then the ODI World Cup triumph in 2011.

"To be honest, the 2007 T20 World Cup that India won inspired me to start playing cricket, but it was the 2011 World Cup at home, with Sachin sir being part of it and everything that happened that year, that really left a mark on me," Arundhati said on JioHotstar.

"The kid inside me always wanted to play for India and win a World Cup for the country. Now, that I have the chance to play a 50-over World Cup at home, I am truly grateful to God for this opportunity," she said, adding that support in Vizag, where two of India's matches will be held, will be crucial.

Arundhati, who idolised Dhoni, said she initially wanted to be a wicketkeeper.

“I never wanted to be a fast bowler. I always wanted to be a wicketkeeper," she recalled.

"On my first day at coach Ganesh sir’s academy, he asked me to bowl, and it all came naturally. A week later, I told my mom I didn’t want to keep bowling and wanted to be a wicketkeeper.

"She spoke to him, and he told her that if I stayed there, I would be a medium-pacer. That’s how my journey as a fast bowler began." She progressed through Hyderabad U-19 and senior teams and admitted there were moments of doubt: “There was a time in my career when I felt like I might never wear the India jersey again, but when I made my comeback and wore the jersey, it felt really special.” Charani: From athletics to spin ================= Twenty-one-year-old N Shree Charani began playing cricket with her uncle Kishore Reddy's casual sessions at the Rayalseema Thermal Power Station quarters in Kadapa district, starting with plastic bats in Class III and competing against older players.

She gradually shifted from athletics, where she excelled in kho-kho, badminton, and running, to cricket under the guidance of coaches and former Indian selector MSK Prasad.

Charani recalled how her family reacted when she chose cricket.

"My mother accepted my decision to become a cricketer immediately, but my father took about a year to come around.

"Once, when we went to a gold shop in Kadapa, the cashier asked about the kit bag I was carrying. My mom replied, ‘She plays cricket, and one day she will play for India.’ She was the first person who believed in me," she recalled.

"Everyone dreams of playing for India and in a World Cup. I feel lucky to have this opportunity, and I will try my best to do well for the team and for India." On her transition from pace to spin, Charani said: "I was a medium-pacer, but I wasn’t very effective, batters rarely got out. That's when I decided to become a spinner.

"Once I started bowling spin, I began picking wickets consistently because batters struggled against my deliveries. That’s how my journey as a spinner began," she concluded. PTI TAP UNG