The quintessential allrounder

An excellent seamer, a stylish batter at the top of the order and an amazing fielder, Rumeli Dhar has all the components that make her the quintessential all-rounder. Priya Ganoo tells us why this superstar from the women’s circuit is our pick for the Cricket Princess of the month.

Rumeli Dhar with team-mate Amita Sharma

Rumeli Dhar has not been around for long but has made a mark since her ODI debut in 2003 against England. On her debut, Dhar bowled a superb spell of six overs giving only ten runs in the process. This must have been a big morale booster even though she went wicket-less. Surprisingly, Rumeli’s tryst with sports did not begin with cricket. She was a gymnast and later moved on to cricket. This switch can be attributed to her parents’ love for the game. When asked about her journey with cricket she was quick to reply, “I started off from a very small place and then I played the nationals for Bengal. Later I joined Air India. Then I played for the Indian team, but was dropped. That’s when I realized that I had to do better and then I came back to the team for the World cup and here I am now still continuing to play for the Indian team!”

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Her performances in the 2005 World Cup bolstered India’s campaign considerably but India settled for the number two spot after losing to the Aussies in the finals. This has not deterred her from fancying their chances as World Champions. Rumeli exudes optimism as she says “I want to give my best for the team and this time for sure we want to bring the World Cup back.”

With her temperament and attitude, Rumeli can be easily hailed as a thinking cricketer. She believes that the biggest contribution a player can make to their team is by performing well. “According to me when I play for my team I have to give my 100%”. Her average of 103.50 in the recently concluded Asia Cup in which India emerged victorious exemplifies the same.
Like many cricketers Dhar’s idols have been Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar and Aussie great Glenn McGrath. In the women’s game she thinks highly of her skipper Mithali Raj and ex-cricketer Poornima Rao.

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Rumeli’s greatest strength is perhaps her ability to handle pressure. She is not easily ruffled and thus can give her best even in the most tense situations. With the strengths also come the weaknesses. She admits, “I fear a couple of the New Zealand pacers. Milliken is one of the toughest bowlers I have faced.”

When not on the field, Rumeli likes to watch TV and listen to music. Interestingly her favourite singer is her very own team mate, Priti Dimri. It also seems that she is quite a foodie and her favourite food is chicken biryani and chicken butter masala.

The season has almost drawn to a close and Dhar will be more than happy with the way things have gone for her side. She will be looking forward to continue her good run from the Asia Cup to the next big series against England in August. We wish her all the luck!