Ajit John
PANJIM: Goa’s female cricketers will achieve much more in the future having been plate runner-ups last year. The performance of the national women’s team in reaching the finals of the world cup has enthused young girls and the State team will be stronger in the years ahead. This was articulated by Shikha Pandey while speaking to Herald at a function where she was felicitated by the CII Goa chapter.
Shikha said the years ahead would be exciting and she intended to be part of the T20 World Championship Team in 2018 which would be held in the Caribbean and the World Cup later.
Shika said she wanted to win the tournaments for the country and then think of her future.
Asked about speculation of a possible T20 tournament on the lines of the IPL for women, she said she had heard talk though nothing concrete was available at present to talk about. She said; “If I am selected then I will take permission from the Air-Force and play for sure”.
Earlier the CII felicitated Shikha Pandey, member of Women’s Cricket World Cup 2017 at the hands of Shrinivas Dempo, Chairman, CII WR Sports Initiatives and Past Chairman CII WR. Shikha joined the IAF on June 30, 2012 as an Air Traffic Control Officer and made her debut as an all rounder in the ICC World T20 in Bangladesh, 2014.
She is the first player from Goa to make it to the National women cricket team. She also led Goa to the Senior Women’s T20 Super League stage this season, almost toppling Railways, the defending champions.
After Dilip Sardesai, she is the first player from Goa to play for any Indian national team. She is also the first Goa Cricket Association affiliated cricketer to play international level cricket for India.
She is the first Goa-born player to play ODIs and international T20s and 2nd player to play Test cricket, after Saredesai, thus becoming first cricketer to have played both state level cricket for Goa and international level cricket for India.
After the T20 World Cup, she played one-off Test match and 2 ODI matches against England.
She was instrumental in India’s win against South Africa on November 26, 2014. She took 3 wickets and scored 59 runs.
