New Delhi, Feb 13 (IANS): Fast bowler Shabnam Shakil comes into the 2025 season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) on the back of winning the Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup for the second time with the Indian team.

With the euphoria of victory in Kuala Lumpur etched in her memory forever, Shabnam’s immediate goal is to win matches for the Gujarat Giants, who open the WPL 2025 season with a clash against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara on Friday.

“Definitely, it was a special feeling because winning one World Cup is a special moment. But winning it twice, it really shows that we are a really strong side. Actually, I didn’t expect such a grand welcome after winning the World Cup. I had mixed feelings actually. I will definitely thank everyone because it made me feel proud and grateful.”

“WPL has turned out to be an important platform for me, because whatever goals I have, I want to achieve, and this is a good platform to show me the path. Mainly, playing with the foreign players and the senior players in WPL, it’s really a very great exposure,” said Shabnam to IANS.

It was the second season of the WPL in New Delhi where Shabnam got her debut in the five-team tournament for GG and got her first wicket in the form of Nat Sciver-Brunt. But it was in the clash against UP Warriorz that Shabnam lit up the Arun Jaitley Stadium with the new ball – dismissing Alyssa Healy, Chamari Athapaththu and her India U19 team-mate Shweta Sehrawat in quick succession.

“They really support me and I think it’s a really important part of my journey. In the first season, I didn’t get opportunities. So, I learnt from watching them. In season 2, I got a chance, and I really loved playing. I would say, in the third season, I hope I perform well for the team and win matches.”

“The preparation has been good and really fantastic. All the players have gathered, and we are really enjoying each other’s company. I would say, we will just try to express ourselves, and stick to basics. Just keep it as simple as possible, and we will try to give our best,” she added.

Growing up in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, Shabnam started playing cricket when she was 8. Although she admits to being unsure of her dreams as a kid, she remembers being very active in dance.

Her father Mohammed Shakil, an Indian Navy official, used to play cricket for clubs as a pacer. Seeing the vast scope of making a career in women’s cricket being wide, it led to Shabnam trying out the sport with full enthusiasm.

“He wanted to see me playing cricket. So, I was interested and I continued playing and I was enjoying actually. So, that’s the reason I started playing. I used to follow Jhulan Goswami because I really loved her bowling – the pace, action, and aggression she showed and I admire this a lot.”

“He’s definitely very happy and it’s a proud moment for him too. He knows that this is not the end or anything like that, but it is the beginning of my journey, which starts with winning two World Cups.”

“I used to feel happy because whenever I stand near my run-up. In games, they used to call, the first over is going to be Shabnam Shakil - they used to recall my dad’s name and I would feel happy because of that,” recalled Shabnam.

Shabnam’s ability to clock speeds upwards of 110 kmph instantly attracted the attention of onlookers, which immediately got her into India squad eventually winning 2023 U19 Women’s T20 World Cup as the youngest member of the side. But she didn’t play much as conditions in South Africa weren’t much conducive for her.

After being with the senior team as a reserve for the home series against South Africa, Shabnam linked up with the Indian team for the 2025 U19 World Cup four to five months back, but the observation there was that she bowling less than 100 kmph. Moreover, she became heavy and struggled to find a way out.

A strong relationship with Rajib Dutta, India U19 bowling coach and a lead faculty at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, helped Shabnam regain her form in time for the World Cup, where she provided the crucial first breakthrough in the final against South Africa, giving India an early edge in the title clash at the Bayuemas Oval.

As of now, the observation is that Shabnam is bowling as well as she can. “One has to understand that she’s young, and needs mentoring, like a senior bowler needs to keep talking to her. She’s a good fielder too, so she presents a very good overall package.”

“Her balls have started to move a lot again, the speed has gone up and has got a lot more control. So it’ll be interesting how she takes up the challenge of being quicker without her accuracy being disturbed. Plus, it should be interesting to see how captain Ashleigh Gardner uses Shabnam in the tournament.”

“It’s because one has to be really careful with people like Shabnam and Titas Sadhu. Their injury concerns are sorted now, but you will have to show patience for one to two years, and after that, they have the capabilities to serve cricket for long,” said a source tracking Shabnam’s development in the national set-up to IANS.

Shabnam’s commitment to cricket was evident in her 4:30 am wake-up calls for 5:15 am bowling sessions in Visakhapatnam, where every effort from her was driven by a disciplined approach towards mastering the ferocious art of fast bowling.

A bright career filled with tons of success awaits this feisty teenager from Visakhapatnam, whose optimistic attitude, and commitment to make her team win and shine by overcoming challenging situations has been the standout factor. Settle in with your popcorn and get ready to watch pacy deliveries from Shabnam in WPL 2025.