From a non-descript Erramalle village in Veerapunayuni Palli mandal, (Kadapa district) of Andhra Pradesh, to the world stage — Nallapureddy Shree Charani Reddy’s rise is the stuff of dreams. The 21-year-old left-arm spinner, once the only girl playing cricket with boys in her village, became one of India’s standout stars at the World Cup, finishing as the team’s second-highest wicket-taker with 14 wickets, behind Deepti Sharma’s 22.
Charani made her India debut in April this year against Sri Lanka and has since played 18 ODIs (including eight in the World Cup) and five T20Is.
Her parents, Chandrasekhar Reddy and Renuka, preferred to watch the final from their village home, praying at the local Durga temple for India’s success. However, her sister Vaishnavi Charitha, brother Bharadwaj Reddy, and uncle Kishore Kumar Reddy — who played a key role in shaping her career — were at the DY Patil Stadium on Sunday.
“Seeing Charani lift the World Cup was surreal. Our whole village celebrated like it was Diwali with fireworks, sweets, everything. She’s made us and Kadapa proud. People are getting to know about our village because of her,” said Kishore, speaking from the airport while returning home.
Charani’s journey is filled with firsts. She is the first cricketer from Kadapa district to represent India and has also featured in the Women’s Premier League (WPL), playing for Delhi Capitals. Bought for R55 lakh — the costliest uncapped player at the auction — she took four wickets in two.
Charani also captained Kadapa’s kho-kho team and ran long-distance races before choosing cricket. Her father, who works at the Rayalaseema Thermal Power Project, initially hesitated to let her train professionally, but relented, with support from her uncle, and under former Andhra leg-spinner M Suresh, Charani honed her craft. “Her natural athleticism and left-arm spin stood out. She would bowl tirelessly for hours,” Suresh recalled.
Girish Dongre, COO of the Andhra Cricket Association, said Charani’s success has inspired a new generation: “We will give these girls all the encouragement and coaching support they need.”