Twelve-year-old Sushila Meena from Pratapgarh, Rajasthan, is capturing hearts across the nation with her impeccable bowling skills and a style reminiscent of Indian cricket legend Zaheer Khan. The young girl made headlines yet again after rattling the stumps of Rajasthan’s Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, who faced her in the nets.
In a viral moment, Sushila delivered a stunning ball that dismissed the 54-year-old former Olympic silver medalist as he attempted to play an aggressive shot. Rathore later shared the video on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “Bitiya se clean bold hokar hum sab jeet gaye”(“We all won after getting clean bowled by our daughter.”)
Sushila first gained national attention when cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar shared a clip of her bowling on social media, praising her effortless action. Her technique, strikingly similar to that of Zaheer Khan, quickly captivated cricket enthusiasts across India.
Sushila, who has been training for over three years, credits her coach, Ishwarlal Meena, for shaping her skills. "I have been playing for three years. My coach taught me how to bowl," she shared. Her father, Ratna Meena, also expressed gratitude to Tendulkar for bringing his daughter into the spotlight and applauded the coach’s dedication.
“I want to thank Sachin Tendulkar. It’s because of him my daughter went viral,” Ratna said. “Her coach has taught her everything. He used to take out time to train her.”
With her talent and determination, Sushila Meena is emerging as a young star to watch in Indian cricket, inspiring countless others along the way.
