Radha Yadav has undergone a significant change in her demeanour, becoming a much more composed individual. She acknowledges that her previous aggression caused her to lose her rhythm in the past. Nonetheless, over the past year, the left-arm spinner has worked diligently to channel her aggression in a way that produces positive results. This transformation was evident in her performances during the WPL 2024, which resulted in her being selected for the Indian squad for the Bangladesh tour, five months before the T20 World Cup.
Rising Star
Radha, at the age of 17, achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first player from Gujarat's domestic team to be selected for the Indian women's cricket team. Her selection came during the tour of South Africa in 2018. Known for her skilful left-arm spin, Radha is particularly suited for the shorter formats of the game and is also an agile presence on the field.
Impressive performances in domestic competitions caught the attention of the selectors, leaving them with no choice but to acknowledge Radha's rapid progress. She made her debut in the shortest format of the game and also participated in the World T20 in the same year. Although originally from Maharashtra, Radha relocated to Baroda during the 2014-15 season and actively participated in various tournaments, including the U19 West Zone tourney, the Senior Women's tournament (in both white-ball formats), and the U23 West Zone ODI Cup.
Currently, Radha is primarily recognised as a T20 specialist for Team India. However, with further experience and growth, it is expected that she will be able to establish herself in the 50-over format as well.
She appears more confident than ever and thoroughly enjoys playing in Sylhet, where the ongoing five-match T20I series is taking place. After three matches, all of which India has won, Radha has emerged as the leading wicket-taker with six wickets, an economy rate of 5, and an average of 10.
Following India's victory in the third T20I, securing the series with two games remaining, Radha expressed her satisfaction, stating, "It's quite similar to India, we get to turn on this wicket - really, really enjoying [myself]. We are really happy in the changing room. The management has given us certain roles to follow, and we are doing it properly. Feeling happy."
Much awaited return
After being out of the Indian team since February 2023, Radha has made a successful comeback and has become a crucial component of the spin attack, alongside Deepti Sharma and Shreyanka Patil. While the uncapped players S Asha and another left-arm spinner, Saika Ishaque, await their opportunity, Radha has played pivotal roles in two of the three matches, including two overs where she took two wickets each. After a 1 for 19 performance in the opening game, she excelled with figures of 3 for 19 in the second match. During that game, despite losing two wickets in the powerplay, the Bangladesh batters had started well. Nevertheless, Radha dismissed captain Nigar Sultana and Fahima Khatun consecutively, leaving Bangladesh four wickets down by the tenth over. This triggered a collapse, and Bangladesh were eventually bowled out for 119.
In the third T20I, Radha once again proved instrumental by dismissing Sultana and Shorifa Khatun in the penultimate over, finishing with figures of 2 for 22. Bangladesh could only manage a below-par total of 117.
Radha Yadav initially established herself as a regular member of the Indian cricket team after making her T20I debut in 2018. Still, she experienced a period of decline in her performance. From the beginning of 2022 until the 2023 T20 World Cup in South Africa, she played 27 matches but only managed to take 16 wickets with an economy rate of 6.84. During the last T20 World Cup, she had a modest record of three wickets in four games, averaging 30.33.
This lean phase continued into the WPL 2023, where she represented the Delhi Capitals. While the team's overall performance was not significantly affected by her underwhelming displays, Radha herself fell short of expectations. She struggled with control and accuracy, taking only four wickets in nine matches with an economy rate of 7.20.
As a result, with the inclusion of players like Patil and Ishaque in the Indian team, Radha slipped down the pecking order. Away from the spotlight, she focused on refining her approach and maintaining composure during matches.
Radha used to primarily aim for the stumps while bowling, but she has now started to vary her lines by bowling wider outside off stump. She has also incorporated changes in her bowling speed, occasionally reducing the pace to restrict the batsmen from scoring runs. Against Bangladesh, she delivered 39 of her 72 balls outside off stump, although most of the deliveries that resulted in wickets were aimed at the stumps.
Channelling Aggression for Success
In WPL 2024, Radha showcased a noticeable change in her approach. She delivered 79 out of her 150 balls outside the off stump, resulting in five of her ten wickets. This strategy proved effective as she emerged as the fourth-highest wicket-taker of the tournament, while her team, Capitals, finished as runners-up once again.
Radha's transformation can be attributed to her ability to channel her aggression positively. In a post-match conversation with Jemimah Rodrigues, she disclosed that she used to watch "Virat Kohli aggression videos" on YouTube to motivate herself.
"I try to stay calm, and I am generally very aggressive. Because of the aggression, I used to lose my rhythm at times. So now, I try to be calm with a smiling face," Radha explained. Since 2019, she has been the second-highest wicket-taker for India in T20Is, trailing only behind Deepti. Having overcome a period of stagnation, Radha's enhanced performance bodes well for India as they prepare for the upcoming T20 World Cup in a few months.