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New MI recruit Maheshwari doesn’t see her struggle as an excuse, but as fuel to propel her unstoppable dreams. In an exclusive with News18, Maheshwari recollects how she began cricket in the gullies of Jaipur, how she developed swing and how her parents fought stereotypes…Read More
Akshita Maheshwari is Mumbai Indians’ latest recruit. (_akshitaamaheshwari_/Instagram)
In India, every kid from a middle-class family has a very Bollywood-esque ‘crossroads’ moment at least once in their lives. Here, their career or dream is usually held back by something entirely out of their control, and they have to choose whether to persist and fight, take the peace of mind in switching paths, or just give up all morals.
For Akshita Maheshwari, that moment came two years ago, when her cricket ambitions were cut short due to some vested interests in the Rajasthan Cricket Association. Had she not ignored the calls to make an ‘approach’ and stuck with complete — and often lonely — persistence, she wouldn’t have been picked up by Mumbai Indians (MI) for Rs. 20 lakh in the 2025 Women’s Premier League (WPL) auction.
Nor would she have reached a stage where Jhulan Goswami, MI’s bowling coach and mentor, would big her up like this: “Maheshwari, again – very good swing, her accuracy is perfect. Another youngster who can swing the ball. When you see a young girl who can swing the ball upfront in women’s cricket, you know there’s something special about her. It’s such a great platform for her to grow.”
In this free-wheeling interview with News18, Maheshwari tells it all — how she began cricket in the gullies of Jaipur, how she developed swing, how her parents fought stereotypes for her, and how she wants to do the same by playing for India.
Excerpts:
Tell us about your journey
No girls lived where we used to live as a family. So, I didn’t like staying at home from the start and I really liked playing games. Everyone here used to play cricket, like older bhaiyyas. So I used to play gully cricket with them.
I liked playing cricket. People used to ask my dad, ‘Why are you letting her play alone? She’s a girl and she’s playing with all the boys.’ But my dad always supported me and said, ‘It doesn’t matter, you play, you do what you like.’
Then I came to know that there is a cricket academy. This was in 2017-18. We went to an academy called Neerja Modi. They refused us, saying they don’t teach cricket to girls.
I thought, okay that might be the case in general. Because girls’ cricket wasn’t that developed at that time like it has been in the last 5-6 years.
One day, I went for a run to a stadium, the KL Saini Stadium, and there was an academy too. I saw a girl there, and one sir was helping her practice. I called my dad immediately and told him to come there.
So I joined KL Saini and practised there. The coach was Vishal sir. Later that year, I gave trials but I didn’t get selected because I also had my 10th exams. But then I was selected the next year and played under-19 for the first time.
I was the highest wicket-taker in that year and again in 2019. I was called up to the NCA and then I started playing under-23 and senior T20s.
Did you go straight to Under-23s?
So, I came back from NCA and everything was good. Then COVID came. After COVID, the people in Rajasthan dropped me. I used to perform but everything was very political and all that was going on here.
I felt I was not able to grow and one and half years later, changed my academy to where I go now (Giya Cricket Academy). The coaches here, Ashwini Kherwa and Jagsimran Sir, and the owner of the academy, Chandan Sir, used to tell me, ‘Daughter, you just perform, we are always with you.’
They worked a lot on me. Then after two and a half years, I was selected for the under-23. That was the last year where I was again the highest wicket-taker.
Did you always want to be a pacer?
I always liked both batting and bowling. Even when I joined the academy, I used to do both. But actually, my coach liked bowling first so he worked a little more on it, compared to batting.
So that’s how it went and I played as a fast bowler only. Now I have started to work more on my batting.
Who were your early idols?
I would say that I used to watch Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah, I used to love watching their bowling. I used to watch even Test cricket. These two were my role models.
My coach is also a very good fast bowler. I look at him and see that if he’s so good even at this age then how good can I become?
Any women’s cricket idols?
No one as such, but I admire Jemimah Rodrigues.
What is your usual schedule?
I have training sessions both in the morning and evening. In the evening, it has always been about working a lot on fast bowling. In the morning I do gym, fielding and batting.
I focus on these three things so it’s a slightly longer session. In the evening, from 3 o’clock to 7 o’clock, I do bowling drills and bowling in nets or follow whatever plans sir makes in the nets.
How have you developed swing?
Initially, when I used to bowl, it used to go mostly straight with a bit of natural swing. But the work sir has done with me in these last 1.5 years, via backspin drills and the like, made swing consistent.
I had it naturally before, but it used to come off sometimes, and not on other days. Sir put in a lot of work. He said this is your strength and that pace is fine in its place and will improve too but swing is quite difficult to play. Things got better as I kept on bowling.
You took two hat-tricks — it’s not even that easy!
(Laughs) Actually, my sir used to tell me one thing — as an in-swinger bowler, you can never be a run-saver; you are always a wicket-taking bowler. So, you have to go for the wickets. All you should think about is bowling in a good spot. Even if you get hit for runs, that ball is your strength and that ball will get you wickets.
So, at that time, when I felt I was on top in those under-23 games, something within me was saying that I wanted to stay at the top. I was very hungry for wickets.
Because I had been dropped for the last 2 years, I don’t know, there was a big hunger, ‘I want to take wickets, I want to take wickets’. So maybe when the opportunity came to take a hat-trick, I grasped it!
So you just recovered those lost 2 years in one go?
You can say that. That kind of time is also important so we can learn. Everyone has struggles in their lives. So the struggle is not an excuse. But I feel that the time when we are unable to do anything for whatever reason, how we go through that time without giving up, is important.
I feel we should never give up. Keep practicing and your time will come. I am a big believer in God. I always had it in my mind that I was not getting this for some good reason. And of course, I was right.
Who has been the biggest support in this time?
My family, first of all. Mom, dad, brother. And then there is a player in our Rajasthan, Tanuja Vaishnav. I respect her a lot. So, she was my backbone.
I mean, I was very depressed at that time, so she was there with me, saying ‘Akshita, nothing happened’. And even my coach, Ashwini sir. These people backed me a lot and whatever I have got now, I would like to dedicate it to them. I got it because of them.
My dad has a very normal business of wires, my mom is a housewife. And we are a very normal middle-class family but despite that, my mom and dad have never asked me to not do this or that.
They have always encouraged me by saying that if you perform better, no one can take you out of the team. They have said when you are number one, you are the best. Every time, every situation, irrespective of their own issues, they never let me and my younger brother face any problems.
My dad loves cricket, not playing but watching it. He follows and knows everything. He used to open the BCCI scorecards and sit for so long, waiting for me to come and bowl. He has always been very involved in my cricket.
Now, I know I can support my dad. It was always in my mind that I needed to support my dad in every situation.
Your reaction to it?
I just didn’t know the depth of these political issues. For me, I only knew how to perform and that’s what I have always liked. I don’t care about approaching someone [for favors]. Approach can make you play once but your performance will make you play for years and years.
Where were you during the WPL auction, what was your reaction and the family’s reaction?
At that time, the Senior One-Day matches were on and I was in Haryana and my parents were at home. I was not watching the auction because it was the rest day, I had just done my gym and was sleeping.
Reema (Malhotra) ma’am was there and she was talking a lot about me. Then someone called me and said, ‘Check the auction, your name is coming up.’ I said okay, I turned it on and saw the auction. I don’t know, maybe I didn’t have that many expectations. But, they say that when you don’t have expectations that’s when you get results.
My Mom and Dad were in tears. I wasn’t there so we were on a video call. We were there on the video call but we were silent. We were just looking at each other, all purely due to happiness.
Next match you took your best ODI figures, was it the confidence of the selection?
Those four wickets were all due to my work with the new ball. In the last few matches, I was getting the ball one change because two senior players were opening with the new ball.
I knew that if I would get the new ball, [I’ll do well]. Of course, I was confident, I had practised for that. I knew I could take wickets for my team.
And yes, of course, the confidence was also due to WPL because it was a big deal. But it was also my own, I knew with the new ball I could do it.
The first player selected from Rajasthan to WPL, now you must be your colony’s favourite?
That definitely happens. I told you in the beginning, that when you get things, everything starts feeling worth it. There was a lot of hard work, but when you get things, everyone knows that there is someone called Akshita Maheshwari who exists. It’s a different feeling altogether. I can never express it in words.
I have heard Nisarg Naik has played a big role in your career too.
So, Nisarg took my practice videos and sent them to Mumbai Indians and many other teams. So, they called me for a trial. I bowled well there too. Firstly, they gave me an old ball but then they called me for one more over later on with a brand-new ball. And with that, I got them wickets.
Maybe they liked that but even then everyone at Mumbai Indians told me that, ‘It’s good, we’ll see, we’ll call you… but don’t keep your expectations too high’. So I didn’t expect anything at all and whatever happened was beyond it!
Nisarg has had a very supportive role. I had asked him how I could get into a team as a net bowler. At that time, I just wanted to get a platform to showcase my talent. Even then he used to tell me to not think about net bowling and to perform with a focus on playing the WPL. He has always been a motivator.
Although it’s a bit early, is there a feeling somewhere in your heart that you have to inspire other girls from Rajasthan?
I have had that feeling from the very beginning. A lot of people come and ask me for help when I am bowling and of course, I help them. I know that if one person can go to the WPL from Rajasthan, many people will go. So, it’s just the beginning.
Do you want to break the stereotypes too?
Yes, absolutely. And I want to prove to them that there’s nothing like ‘approach’ in life. It’s the performance that matters, always.
Who do you want to learn from at MI?
The main is the Indian team captain, Harman di, then Jhulan di, then Shabnam Ismail, she’s a very good bowler. I want to learn from her.
Want to develop any new things? Or want to focus on consistency only?
I’ll learn a lot at MI and I’ll try to learn a lot. But our basics, our roots, we should never forget them because that’s what has got us this far. I believe that when you have quality, the best thing is to polish it as much as you can.
What’s the end goal? You must want to give back to your parents, your father?
I can never do as much for him as he did for me because he has done a lot, a lot. But I’ll try to give them as much happiness as I can.
As for the WPL, my only goal is to take as much learning as possible and I want to contribute to my team as much as I can, in every situation, in every part of the game.
And it’s just the start. I have just got a platform. My goal is unstoppable. I have to do a lot for India. It’s just the start.
