Women’s U23 One Day Trophy: Akshita Maheshwari’s 6-for steers Rajasthan to their fifth straight win

It took just over two and a half hours for Rajasthan to demolish Goa in their Women’s U23 One Day Trophy clash on Saturday at Dadoji Konddeo Stadium in Thane as they registered a comprehensive eight-wicket win. Opting to bowl first on a pleasant morning, Rajasthan bowled out Goa for a paltry 41 in 19.3 overs and later overhauled the target in 15.4 overs at the loss of two wickets.

Rajasthan’s opening bowler, Akshita Maheshwari, wreaked havoc with the new ball as she scalped 6/10 in eight overs. This right-arm speedster picked her first five wickets inside nine overs, breaking the back of Goa’s batting. She has been blowing in red-hot form in the ongoing Women’s U23 One Day Trophy, having snapped 17 wickets in five matches, including a hat-trick against Odisha.

On the other hand, Goa had a forgettable day with the bat, with their wicket-keeper-batter Divya Naik (17) being the only one to score in double digits.

Chasing a mere 42 for their fifth straight win in this tournament, Rajasthan’s opening batter Megha Saini (22 not out) led her team to victory.

After the match, a happy Akshita, who was beaming with joy when she collected the match ball, which will be treasured as memorabilia, told Know Your Town, “These are my best bowling figures in domestic cricket. There have been instances when I have picked three or four wickets. But today, it was the first time I claimed a six-for. The conditions were excellent for fast bowling. There was a bit of grass on the pitch and a gentle breeze, which helped me. I relied on my strength, which is inswing bowling, and yielded rich dividends.”

Akshita, who hails from Jaipur, started playing cricket in 2017-18 with boys in her neighbourhood. Later, she joined a cricket academy for professional coaching, where her coach played an instrumental role in shaping her as a good fast bowler. He taught her bowling variations, use of crease, etc. and encouraged her to follow the process and focus on quality practice. Before playing for Rajasthan Women’s U23, Akshita represented the state’s U19 team and has been a part of NCA and ZCA camps.