Nandni Sharma Makes India's T20 World Cup Squad at 24

When Shyam Sundar Sharma came home from his spare parts shop in Chandigarh on Monday, his daughter Nandni greeted him with news that made 13 years of dedication worth it. The 24-year-old pacer had just been named to India's 15-member squad for the Women's T20 World Cup.

Back in 2011, nine-year-old Nandni pleaded with her father nearly every evening to enroll her in a cricket academy. "She had made up her mind to play cricket," Sharma recalled. He didn't hesitate for a moment.

Nandni started at her school before joining the LIC Cricket Academy in Chandigarh, where coaches noticed something special. Even at ten years old, she bowled with impressive pace that made other kids stop and watch.

She worked her way through Punjab's junior teams and attended the U-19 NCA camp, eventually training under Sukhwinder Bawa, the former coach of Yuvraj Singh. Together they refined her yorkers and developed variations that would later become her signature.

The breakthrough came in the 2026 Women's Premier League. Delhi Capitals picked her up for 20 lakh rupees, and Sharma seized the opportunity. She claimed 17 wickets across the tournament, matching the season's best and becoming the first uncapped player to take a five-wicket haul in WPL history.

Her five-wicket spell against Gujarat Giants and her historic hat-trick weren't just statistics. They were proof that the girl who once begged for cricket lessons had arrived.

Why This Inspires

Nandni's story reminds us that parents who listen to their children's passions can change lives. Shyam Sundar Sharma could have dismissed his daughter's cricket dreams as a phase, but instead he became her first supporter.

The community that rallied around her matters too. Coaches like Deepinder Singh saw her potential early and gave her proper pitches to bowl on. Teammates like Jemmiah Rodrigues and Shafali Verma mentored her during the WPL, helping her understand pressure situations.

Now Nandni stands ready to bowl in England, carrying not just her own dreams but those of every young girl in Chandigarh who watched her journey. She's still nervous, she admits, but she's ready.

From a fourth-grader's persistent request to a World Cup jersey, Nandni Sharma's rise shows that when talent meets opportunity and unwavering support, extraordinary things happen.