Gouher Sultana paused for a decade

The Indian national cricket team stopped selecting the left-arm spinner in 2014. But Gouher has now returned to the sport's highest level, playing in the WPL.

Gouher Sultana, a left-arm spinner, is set to return to top-level cricket after a decade-long hiatus.

She last played for India in 2014 but was dropped following the Women's T20 World Cup in Bangladesh, which India only managed to qualify for in 2016. She was the fifth most prolific spinner in the format from her debut in May 2008 until her last ODI. Her last two ODI appearances against Sri Lanka saw her take four wickets each.

She was 26 years old at the time.

Gouher did not want her career to end this way, so she decided to focus on playing domestic cricket. She represented Hyderabad, Puducherry, Railways, and Bengal. She delivered some impressive performances, such as being the joint-third leading wicket-taker in the Senior Women's T20 Trophy in 2019-20. Though these performances did not make her a contender for selection for India or the Women's T20 Challenge, an exhibition tournament preceding the Women's Premier League that ran for four seasons.

Sport is often a celebration of newness, but it can also be a challenge for older athletes. Selectors, particularly in women's cricket, tend to disregard age, but birth certificates do not reflect the passion and determination that athletes feel within. This has been particularly evident in the case of Gouher, whose desire to continue playing and her relentless efforts paid off in December 2023 when UP Warriorz signed her up for WPL 2024.

"I was not convinced that I was finished,"

she said.

Now, at almost 36, she has another chance at top-level cricket and is one of only two Indians in the competition, along with Harmanpreet Kaur, to have made their international debuts before 2010.

"There was absolutely no communication [from selectors]," she says of how her time in international cricket ended. When players are dropped, they are not told what's wrong or what areas need improvement: "Because I took those wickets in my last [ODI] series, I felt it couldn't be the end of my career."

For those who are not even on the periphery, the domestic circuit can be an uphill trek. As the years passed, Gouher realized that she needed to be at the top of her game to make the cut.

Gouher wants to be in the winning side and be one of the best players when she is in a team. If not, and if she can't help the team succeed and grow, she would leave.

In India, athletes are often considered too old for sport by the age of 26 or 27, and once dropped, it is unlikely that they will be given another chance.   Additionally, after the age of 30, it is common to gain weight, which can further impact an athlete's performance.

The sport has evolved since the time when the speaker was an India international, as evidenced by the average scoring rate of 5.80 in T20Is played by Full Members between 2008 and 2014. Since January 2015, the Women's game has gained significant attention. However, keeping up with the pace has taken its toll on Gouher, with her current ranking at 6.57.

She explains that she had many self-doubts even before WPL came up, which affected her mental health. For a few years, she struggled to land the ball where she wanted to, not due to lack of practice, but because she put herself under unnecessary pressure to make a comeback and play at a higher level.

In 2019, she played for Bengal for the first time, and they were the champions of the Senior Women's One Day Trophy the year before. She performed well in the T20 trophy for the team, and made it to the knockouts where they played against Baroda in the quarter-finals. This was a televised game, and she was playing after a long gap. This was the time to prove herself and perform.

But a few tough years followed. Nooshin Al Khadeer, India's head coach when the side won the first Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup, suggested that Gouher speak to a psychologist. Gouher looked up to Al Khadeer, a former India and then Railways teammate.

Al Khadeer provided valuable input. Gouher acknowledges Nooshin's continuous support throughout her career. Nooshin has helped Gouher with practice sessions and improving her mindset. They have had several conversations about cricket and its evolution.

Al Khadeer shifted Gouher's focus to her process rather than the outcome, which has resulted in significant progress in Gouher's mental approach. Gouher believes that her performance has improved due to Noosh's guidance and her own hard work.

Gouher and Sukanya Parida jointly took the most wickets for Bengal in domestic T20s last year. Sukanya Parida played for Hyderabad this season and took eight wickets in the T20s, the second-highest for them.

Although Gouher faced challenges in her own career, her desire to help other cricketers develop has remained constant. She is a skilled reader of the game and has provided tactical and technical insights to her teammates and others. Indeed, that desire was one of the reasons she returned to Hyderabad ahead of the 2023-24 season.

She started playing for them in 2006-07 and went on to play most of her domestic cricket with them. Her performances earned her an India call-up and she finished among the top three wicket-takers in the Senior Women's One Day Trophy in 2010-11 and 2011-12 and fourth in 2008-09.

Gouher attributes her success to her mother, who she considers her pillar of strength. Her mother taught her to prioritize helping others before oneself, and that doing so will ultimately benefit oneself. Gouher finds joy in helping others, even if it is just a 1% improvement. She is passionate about sharing her knowledge and experience with young cricketers to help them grow.

At Warriorz, she will be playing alongside Gayakwad. At 32, Gayakwad is no longer the first choice for India in white-ball cricket. In fact, it was Gayakwad's rise to prominence in 2014 that triggered India's move away from Gouher.

And so Gouher is back, almost ten years after her last appearance on the world cricket stage. Wiser and with unfinished business. For years, she has worked diligently, away from the public eye. Now, every move she makes will be scrutinised by thousands and analysed by many. She has the opportunity to shape her own destiny and achieve the closure she desires.