Arundhati Reddy: The Courage to Start Over

Arundhati’s journey from Hyderabad to the world stage is built on courage, and self-belief. Her story shows that sometimes, starting over is the bravest step toward success.

Arundhati Reddy’s story begins in Hyderabad, Telangana, where a young girl’s quiet love for cricket started to bloom. Her mother, Bhagya Reddy, a former semi-professional volleyball player, encouraged her to follow her sporting dreams.

At just 12, Arundhati began training seriously, inspired by Indian captain MS Dhoni and his calm leadership behind the stumps. She initially wanted to be a wicketkeeper like Dhoni, but her coaches soon noticed her natural pace and guided her toward fast bowling.

Her journey through Hyderabad’s domestic circuit was steady and determined. She represented the Hyderabad Women’s Under-19 team before moving to the Railways one of India’s most competitive women’s cricket teams. In 2018, she made her T20I debut for India against Sri Lanka.

Her ODI debut, however, took six long years. After advice from former India fielding coach Biju George, Arundhati made a brave decision to move from Hyderabad to Kerala for better opportunities. It was a bold step starting from scratch away from home  but it changed her life.

When Smriti Mandhana handed her the ODI cap in 2024, she praised Arundhati’s courage to begin again. That moment captured her journey perfectly built on risk, resilience, and relentless effort.

Her defining moment came at the T20 World Cup against Pakistan, where she bowled a match-winning spell. In 2025, she became part of India’s historic ICC Women’s World Cup-winning team.

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