“When UP Warriorz picked me, I had tears in my eyes,” says emerging talent Kranti Goud

The world of cricket always produces serious awe-inspiring stories that make the sport nothing short of inspirational. Such has been the story of a fast-bowling all-rounder who hails from a humble background, but with sheer consistency, handwork and dedication, the young girl has made it to a stage where she would be cheered by millions of people from Indian and abroad.

Seven years ago, in the town of Ghuwara, nestled in the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur district, a women’s leather-ball cricket team found itself one player short. As they searched for a replacement, they noticed a young girl, Kranti Goud, wandering nearby, casually holding a stick. On a whim, they invited her to join.

At just 14 years old, she had spent her childhood passionately playing tennis-ball cricket, often sneaking in games even during exams, undeterred by the risk of being scolded. Though she had only ever competed in tennis-ball matches against boys—something that drew disapproval from neighbors and acquaintances who believed cricket wasn’t meant for a village girl—she and her family paid little attention to such opinions.

Seizing the unexpected opportunity, she stepped onto the field for her first-ever leather-ball match, delivering a stellar performance with both bat and ball, ultimately earning the Player of the Match award.

Kranti Goud had served as a net bowler for the Mumbai Indians in 2024 but had low expectations from the auction table in 2025. However, to her huge surprise, she was selected by Warriorz at her base price of Rs 10 lakh.

“When UP Warriorz picked me, I had tears in my eyes,” Goud says. “I called my family and spoke to my oldest brother, Mayank Singh.” She is the youngest of six siblings – three brothers and three sisters. ” He was watching the auction – he had been looking forward to it. At first, he got very emotional, and we couldn’t speak. I called him again after a while; he started crying and I couldn’t control myself.”

“They say in the village that she is a girl, so don’t let her play cricket. But my brother did not listen to them, supported me fully. The family supported me. So that is why I am here. My first thought after getting picked was that I had been doing well in the senior one-dayers, so I just wanted to continue the same in the WPL. I was also excited to meet the India players and play alongside them.”

After her remarkable first experience playing with a leather ball, Goud traveled nearly 70 km to Jatara in Tikamgarh district for another match, where she delivered another strong performance. Her talent caught the eye of Rajiv Bilthre, the secretary of the Chhatarpur District Cricket Association (CDCA) and coach of the Sagar Division, who also heads the Sai Cricket Academy.

She was agile, fast, and very athletic. I felt she could do well, so I asked her father to enrol her with me and leave her in Chhatarpur,” Bilthre says. “I told him I will make a good player of her. Her father said, ‘Hum apni beti aapko saunp rahe hai. [We are entrusting our daughter to you.] You have to shape her future.’ It is her effort and talent that has got her to where she is, by god’s grace. I did what I could. Her family was financially not well off, so I helped her a bit – kit, dress or bat – because these days you need good bats.”

Bilthre recalls that, as a child, she had exceptional speed, uncommon among girls at the time, and could even keep up with the boys while running. Recognizing her potential, he focused on improving her fitness and honing her bowling skills. He describes her as highly dedicated, spending every moment of her training sessions on the field without distractions.

Tripathi explains that Kranti represented Chhatarpur district in an inter-district U-16 tournament, where she not only led the team as captain but also delivered strong all-round performances. Impressed by her abilities, she was later appointed captain of the Sagar Division team.

Under her leadership, the team achieved a significant milestone by finishing as runners-up in the 2018-19 U-16 tournament organized by the MPCA, with Bhopal emerging as champions. Given that teams from Indore, Gwalior, and Bhopal typically dominated the competition, even securing a single victory was a big achievement for the Sagar Division. This tournament marked the turning point in Kranti’s cricketing journey.

At both CDCA and Sagar Division, Bilthre emphasized the importance of developing well-rounded cricketers. Understanding the value of versatility, he nurtured players to excel in multiple aspects of the game. He saw great potential in Goud’s batting—she possessed natural power and agility, allowing her to handle spin effectively.

To refine her game, he focused on improving her technique and instilling the significance of playing straight shots. Under Bilthre’s structured coaching, Goud dedicated months to sharpening her batting skills. However, one challenge remained—she needed to develop more patience.

Kranti Goud’s story resembles life. No matter how hard the situation gets – one should not give up. Keep knocking at the doors, maybe not day – not tomorrow – but the sun will rise and enlighten the whole world for you.

(Inputs sourced from EspnCricInfo)

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