Jemimah Rodrigues said in a March video that left-arm spinner Radha Yadav’s YouTube watching history was dominated by “Virat Kohli aggression videos” on the Women’s Premier League “X” account.

“It takes a little bit of energy, and he’s my hero. I thus always get to visit him before a game and see his intense love for the game. Radha stated at the time, “I really can relate to him, which is why I see those videos.”

Now, with fewer than ten days till the start of the Women’s T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, Radha is beaming while posing for pictures on the set of an advertisement for Qua Clothing, whose brand she describes as being bold but also basic. She is wearing a white blouse and black trousers.

For me, feeling powerful is what fashion is all about. Whether it’s in life or on the field, I bring that confidence with me when I wear something that makes me feel good. Since their clothing allows me to move freely, feel comfortable, and yet appear fashionable no matter the circumstance, this relationship seems natural.

Her gaze is drawn to a rose and compass tattoo on her right forearm. Radha says she got the tattoo because she was so interested in having one, but she doesn’t want to discuss the symbolism behind it. Radha’s preparation for the Women’s T20 World Cup wasn’t without incident; in late August, floods in Vadodara, Gujarat, forced the NDRF to save her.

In actuality, it rained for two or three days. The dam was filled with a lot of water, and the gates were then opened. As a result, I’m not sure whether 60% or less of the city was submerged in water. However, in addition to all of these events, the drinking water supply ran out.

“We were filling our buckets with rainwater collection. Because of the challenges these circumstances brought about, we were only drinking one sip of water every two to three hours. Since there was no water in the restroom, we didn’t even eat. In an exclusive interview with IANS, Radha states that “the situation was such that there was no water despite so much of it being around, whether it was at home or outside of it.”

Radha has taken 10 wickets at an economy rate of 7.48 in nine games for the Delhi Capitals in the second season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), where they were runners-up, so far in 2024.

After almost a year, she was chosen for the Indian squad for the T20I trip to Bangladesh in April and May as a result of her achievements. In the home series that followed against South Africa and the Women’s Asia Cup in July, she kept showcasing her abilities.

She will now compete in her fourth Women’s T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates. “This year, returning to the Indian squad, it was excellent.”Like, I always say, training, winning, and everything else are the byproducts; my only duty is to work hard and do it honestly. I thus always keep it in mind,” she continues.

Radha only took three wickets in her four games in the 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup, which was a lackluster effort. After that, she had a dismal season with the Capitals in the first WPL, collecting only four wickets in nine games. Radha was dropped out of the Indian squad due to the rise of spinners in the WPL such as Saika Ishaque and Shreyanka Patil.

Radha found that accepting composure and reining in her anger was the key to her journey back into the national spotlight. “I gave what was happening a lot of thinking. I was moving quickly with stuff. My network of friends in particular advised me to take some time to find that tranquility.

Amol Muzumdar, our head coach, concurs that restrained aggressiveness is crucial. That was the realization that I came to some kind of conclusion about, and it emerged naturally. I’ve now put a lot more composure into the game and set aside some aggressiveness. This adjustment has really benefited me.

In addition to promoting serenity, Radha has embraced the idea of living in the now and minimizing worries about the future. “My pals said you don’t know how to enjoy life since you are so obsessed with cricket. Like, you have to take a drive or get out sometimes, not constantly.

“I used to think that the one thing in my life that kept me happy was cricket. As a result, I’ve softened my stance on this issue and now believe that life is far more important than cricket. That point is now clear to me, and it has also been helpful.

Radha’s results in WPL 2024 showed the effects of these adjustments on her approach. She bowled with more assurance and accuracy while retaining her characteristic joy when she took a wicket, as seen when she took an outstanding 4-20 against UP Warriors in Bengaluru.

Prior to WPL 2024, Radha’s main bowling tactic was to aim for the stumps, which increased the predictability of her ball deliveries. She did, however, sometimes bowl slower through the air and broader lines throughout the competition in an effort to take wickets.

Radha carried on using this strategy after rejoining the Indian squad, attributing this change to the plans hatched during team sessions. Since each batter is unique, the team strategy calls for somewhat varied lines to be drawn. Sometimes it’s necessary to bowl wider or fuller, but for certain batters, it’s necessary to bowl more at the stumps. The team decides to bowl in accordance with that.

Radha’s time playing with the Washington Capitals has been enhanced by his experiences picking the brains of international players over two WPL seasons. “Knowing about their culture, the way they play their games, the attitude behind it, and conversing and inquiring about it have all been very beneficial. We also believed that even if you may make mistakes after learning a lot from them, the key is to learn from them and move on.

Radha found that it was simpler to accept tranquility after seeing Meg Lanning. Meg remains composed even under duress. She picks up on the future course of events and what has to be done extremely rapidly. She has been playing for a long time, which is why she has such a complex sense of what will happen next and what my next course of action is.

Radha praises the great team spirit among the Indian spin bowlers—Shreyanka, Asha Sobhana, Deepti Sharma, and herself—noting that India expects them to be key players in their T20 World Cup matches in Dubai and Sharjah.

“We had played together in domestic cricket even before the WPL.” We find it to be rather enjoyable and not too tough. We’re always instructing one another on how to bowl against a given batter or how to accomplish something under certain circumstances. We thus discuss our strategy versus teams a lot.

Radha describes herself as a really laid-back person outside of cricket and is perplexed as to how she is able to speak so much in this interview with IANS. I sometimes play FIFA. I like visiting cafes often with my pals and sometimes getting a coffee. My favorite is a regular Americano coffee without sugar.

As Radha achieved a condition of peace and tranquility, her performances improved, earning her a spot to represent India in the T20 World Cup. This calmer and better Radha, who is full of confidence in an impending World Cup victory, may be of immense assistance to the Indian team as they attempt to win the trophy in Dubai on October 20.

“We think we’re not far from a large trophy because the more support we get from the public, the more likely we are to follow the correct road and win it. I hope that the supporters’ prayers will always be directed toward our team, not just myself, since the squad has to keep winning whether or not I am there. I want to thank the fans for their support and ask them to continue doing so for women’s cricket. We’re going to provide the fans with something.