Indian Women's U-19 team is currently playing the 2nd edition of U-19 Women's World Cup. The defending champions are raring to go out there and defend the title. All the players from different parts of the nation are giving their best efforts to accomplish the herculean task of keeping a billion hopes alive in the tournament which began a few days back. And out of all these future stars of the national cricket team, stands tall Drithi Kesari, a girl from Ramanthapur, Hyderabad.

The right arm off break bowler from Hyderabad making her way into the Indian squad for the world cup is a matter of pride for everyone. Daughter of former Hyderabad cricketer Srikant Kesari and health nutritionist Lavanya Kesari, Drithi is keen to follow the footsteps of her father to make it big in cricket. With a total of 155 wickets and 695 runs in 115 matches she has played at league, national and international level, she is already proving her worth in the team. She was a part of the Asia Cup winning squad of 2024. Women's Asia Cup, and played a significant role in the team's success on the occasions she got a chance to play. And she is continuing her to play her part in the world cup.

Now a lot of people know who Drithi Kesari is, but yet a lot of people hardly have any clue about the hardships she faced to reach to this level. It would come as a shock to many that Drithi was introduced to the game of cricket by chance, and not by choice. And it would be even more surprising to know how a person who was introduced to the game by chance, ultimately made it to this level. Today let's have a look at how this champion was made, and how she battled her weight issues, financial issues and with immense dedication and commitment, she eventually reached to the place which she deserves.

Her story begins in the year 2006, when she was born in Hyderabad. From 2006 to 2018, she was hardly a part of any sport. Instead she dealt with weight issues. She was overweight considering her age, which raised concerns about her health. And in order to cut down some weight, her parents introduced her to some sports. She tried her hand in some sports, but was hardly fascinated by any of them until she was introduced to cricket. At the age of 12, when she tried cricket, she fell in love with the game. A win-win situation for her and the parents, allowed her to follow the sport she loved, and also fulfilled her parents' purpose of inducing fitness habits in their daughter.

Summer camp happening close to her residence became her go to place due to the same. Along with Drithi, her 4 yr old brother Dhruv also joined the camp. Mother Lavanya accompanied the kids to and fro to the camp. The camp shaped the formative years of Drithi and everyone was happy to see a evolved version of Drithi with honed skills. Her performance kept on getting better and better, and when she went for U-15 trials, Naresh sir from Ramanaidu cricket academy spotted her. He then asked Drithi's parents to take her for trials at the Ramanaidu Academy in Madhapur which was mentored by V Chamundeswarnath sir. After seeing Drithi bowl, Chamundeswarnath sir was instantly impressed and asked her to be a part of his academy. This event was a turning point in Drithi's life.

To be mentored by someone of V Chamundeswarnath sir's level was a blessing in disguise for Drithi. The guidance of former senior cricketer massively helped her to get the right amount of skills as well as exposure. Sir always went and extra mile to help Drithi, knowing her potential. He provided indoor nets in the Academy for Drithi to practice without skipping a day even in the heavy rains. His guidance was not just on a professional level, but also on a humanitarian level. The expenses needed to be a part of Ramanaidu Academy were high, and understanding the financial issues of Drithi's family, he decided to train Drithi without charging anything. In addition to this, he took care of all the cricketing gear and accessories needed to play the game at a higher level.

On one side V Chamundeswarnath sir massively helped Drithi, and on the other side her family's selfless sacrifices also came as a motivation to her. Drithi's father was working in a private insurance company, and mother was a certified nutritionist. The couple's dreams for their daughter were really big, but finance was a major concern. Which is why, they took the difficult decision to discontinue Drithi's younger brother, Dhruv's cricket. Funding for both of them simultaneously, and also managing time for both of them was a difficult task, due to which they took this tough call. But their daughter Drithi always kept all sacrifices in her mind, and made all of it count to make them proud.

She didn't miss practice even for a day. Her parents fondly tell that they don't remember her skipping her practice since she ever joined it. Often on days when she was ill, she still insisted to go to the practice and just watch it. Probably that just gave her the energy to get well soon every time it happened. Apart from her sincerity in cricket, she also ensured that her parents don't face disappointment in her academic aspect. Even though she did home schooling later on, she always received distinction in her grades. Which is why, today as she plays for the nation, as well as studies in her college, she continues to make her parents, her college, her alma maters and her entire city proud of her achievements.

Drithi's stark feature is her ability of never giving up. She has inherited her abilities from her parents. Her father continues to play veteran's cricket even in his late 40's, and played IVPL under the leadership of Chris Gayle. And her mother, certified nutritionist, former Mrs India is also a cyclist who recently cycled from Kashmir to Kanyakumari in 19 days. When her parents have the qualities like these, it is evident to see a reflection of those qualities in Drithi. A blend of her spinning the web to dismiss the opposition, making crucial runs for the team and her ability of never giving up, make her a very promising player to watch out in this tournament. Today, only the people who follow the Women's U-19 World Cup might know Drithi, but very soon, she'll be a household name. On this day, we pray that the same happens soon. We wholeheartedly wish her the best for the reminder of World Cup and hope that she returns to the homeland with that prestigious trophy.

Follow her on instagram: dkesari23