Vrinda Dinesh, a 22-year-old batting sensation from Karnataka, etched her name in cricketing history during the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2024 auction by becoming the first uncapped player to command a bid exceeding Rs 1 crore after UP Warriorz snapped her up for a whopping Rs 1.3 crore.
Set at a base price of Rs 10 lakh, the talented player sparked a competitive bidding war between Gujarat Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore. However, it was UP Warriorz who emerged victorious by outbidding the other two teams, securing Vrinda Dinesh's services for the upcoming season.
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Renowned for her consistency and powerful batting, Vrinda has garnered attention as someone with a bright prospect in Indian cricket. A fan of Meg Lanning and Virat Kohli, she earned a spot in India's U23 squad for the 2023 ACC Emerging Teams Cup held in Hong Kong.
Playing a crucial role at one down, Vrinda top-scored with a 29-ball 36 in India A's 31-run victory over Bangladesh A in the final of the ACC Emerging Teams Cup. She also showcased her skills in the India A squad during a recent three-match T20I series against England A. Not just a proficient batter, Vrinda is a part-time leg-spinner.
MORE: Squads for all five teams in the WPL 2024
Early Days and Domestic Prowess
Vrinda Dinesh's cricket journey is rooted in a family legacy of the sport. Coming from a lineage where cricket has been cherished for generations, her father, uncle, and cousin all played the game at the club level, fostering a deep connection with the sport.
From the age of five, Vrinda displayed an early passion for cricket, setting the foundation for her promising career. At 12, she was admitted to the Karnataka Institute of Cricket.
And at 13, her dedication and skill development led to her earning a coveted spot in the Karnataka U19 team, a testament to her talent at a young age. However, it was not until she was 17 that she focussed on cricket professionally.
"I first started off at a summer camp in 2014," she revealed to ESPN Cricinfo.
"In September that year, my friend called to tell me there were Under-19 trials for women, so I registered for it, and got picked into the probables and made the state team. I realised at 16-17 that I was going to take the sport seriously, by then I'd played three years of state cricket. I met my coach Kiran Uppar in 2018-19; that was the turning point for me. It's been five years now. I'm grateful to have found a coach like him," she said.
After actively participating in trials conducted by all five Women's Premier League (WPL) teams during the off-season, she is all set to make her big breakthrough.
“She is very disciplined but credit to the coach Kiran,” said her father, Dinesh Subbappa, to Indian Express.
Meanwhile, her coach, Kiran revealed that the cricketer did not even know about the auction bidding for an hour as she was busy in training.
"The funny thing is she was in the nets and didn’t even know about it for a good hour,” laughed Kiran.
The cricketer spoke in the same vein while talking to Cricinfo: "We were actually training; I was bowling, and I heard my team-mate (Gowda) whispering to another colleague of ours saying, 'They got her for 1.30.' I jumped in and asked, 'What! 1.3 lakh?' She said 'nope'.
"I also kind of knew 1.3 lakh was impossible. Then I was like, 'What? 1.3 crore?' She was like, 'yeah'. Then, suddenly, everyone, batters who were batting, the keeper, everyone ran towards me and hugged me for a long time. Everyone was genuinely very happy. It felt great to have such team-mates around."
What was the turning point in Vrinda Dinesh's career?
Vrinda's coach, Kiran, described how it all changed after a heart-break.
“The turning point was when she was not picked for the Karnataka state team," Kiran revealed.
"Earlier this year again she was not picked for the Emerging Team Cup held in Hong Kong. The Hyderabad seamer S Yashasri got injured and she went there as a replacement. In the final, she scored 36 and India A won the match against Bangladesh. She was picked for the A series against England and now (got) the WPL contract,” Kiran said.
However, Vrinda believes that her initial rejection in the India U23 team made her more determined.
"Once we finished with the emerging camp in May-June, the India Under-23 team was announced and I didn't get picked," Vrinda recalled. "I didn't have the heart to unpack because I had a strong feeling that I had to be there. Then, midway through the tournament, I got a call from the manager. He said, 'you might be travelling - either it's going to be a vacation [in the Bangalore hotel] or you will join us in Hong Kong for the next game.'
"And the day I got called up, I was practicing. I quickly went back home, packed, and left. The next two games were called off and the night before the final, I couldn't sleep. I hadn't had a single training session, I'd only seen the ground, it was muddy and wickets were always covered.
"On match day, when I was actually in the XI, I was anxious. Just before walking in to bat, I told myself, 'You've trained so long, you know what to do, just be brave'. I enjoyed every minute of it. I enjoyed fielding, [and] in the end, when we lifted that trophy, it was an amazing feeling. I ended up getting both the holiday and the title win. We went to Disneyland in Hong Kong for a team outing, so yeah, I enjoyed the best of both worlds on that trip."
Vrinda is also trying to complete her business administration degree from the Bishop Cotton Women's Christian College in Bengaluru.
Vrinda's journey to becoming one of the top buys in the WPL auction symbolizes the changing dynamics of women's cricket. Her success serves as an inspiration for aspiring cricketers, breaking barriers and making a significant impact in the sport.
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