Rajeshwari Gayakwad is an Indian cricketer who plays as a slow left-arm orthodox bowler for the national team. She has represented Karnataka, Railways, Trailblazers and Supernovas in domestic cricket. She was bought by the franchise team UP Warriorz for the inaugural season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) in 2023.
Wiki/Biography
Rajeshwari Shivanand Gayakwad was born on Saturday, 1 June 1991 (age 32 years; as of 2023) in Bijapur, Karnataka. Her zodiac sign is Gemini. Rajeshwari belongs to a musically inclined family. Her grandfather was a musician. Until she and her siblings started playing sports professionally, they all used to be musicians. Rajeshwari and her sisters would sing, while her brothers and father played different musical instruments. On weekends, her father would teach music lessons to all his children. However, she was athletic since childhood and used to play Javelin and discus throw, Kho-Kho, and volleyball during her school days. Later, she developed a passion for cricket, playing gully cricket with her father and brothers. At 16, she enrolled in the Bijapur Women’s Cricket Club along with her sister Rameshwari Gayakwad after her father, an ardent lover of the sport, came to know that the club was conducting a free training camp for girls. However, coming from a humble background Rajeshwari faced a lot of difficulties at the beginning of her cricketing journey. In an interview, she talked about the same and said,
I come from a poor family. My father was a teacher in Government Primary school. When I got selected for Karnataka Team, I did not have white trouser and white T-shirt. My father bought a second-hand trouser and got it altered. I managed my school white shirt instead of white T-shirt. Whenever I recall those struggle days, I am bound to cry, tears they come automatically. I faced a lot of financial problems.”
At the club, her sporting talent was recognised by Basavaraj Ijeri, the head of Bijapur Women’s Cricket Club. Apart from Basavaraj Ijeri, Rajeshwari received coaching from Ashok Jadhav, Saleem T T, Shridhar Joshi, Kalal, and AG Patel at the club. She was a fast bowler in her initial years; however, Gayakwad switched over to spin when her coach Ashok Jadhav insisted that she did not have the strength and height to be a fast bowler. She secured a place in the Karnataka state team just after two months of formal training. After getting selected in the state team she received coaching from Kalpana Venkatacharya, Shantha Rangswamy, and Gayathri. She pursued a Bachelor of Arts. Her father died of cardiac arrest in 2014 just after her debut international series against Sri Lanka. Thereafter, she became the sole breadwinner for her family. To support her family after her dad, she joined Indian Railways and got selected in its cricket team in 2015 following which she started living in Bengaluru. Later, she got posted with Western Railway (WR) after which she started living in WR quarters in Matunga, Mumbai.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 3″
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Family
Parents & Siblings
Her father, Shivanand Gayakwad, was a primary school teacher in a government school. He died of cardiac arrest while watching an IPL match with her daughters at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in 2014. Her mother’s name is Savitha Gayakwad.
An old picture of Rajeshwari Gayakwad’s parents
Rajeshwari Gayakwad and sister Rameshwari Gayakwad with their father
Rajeshwari Gayakwad with her mother
She has two brothers, Kashinath Gayakwad and Vishwanath Gayakwad, and two sisters, Rameshwari Gayakwad and Bhuvaneshwari Gayakwad. Kashinath Gayakwad is a professional tabla player, who has won 3 state awards at the district level. Her younger brother Vishwanath Gayakwad is a badminton and volleyball player. Her younger sister, Rameshwari Gayakwad, is also a professional cricketer who plays for Karnataka. Bhuvaneshwari has represented the state hockey team of Karnataka.
Rajeshwari Gayakwad with her siblings
Husband & Children
She is unmarried.
Religion
Rajeshwari Gayakwad follows Hinduism.
Rajeshwari Gayakwad performing Puja
Career
Domestic
She has represented Karnataka and Indian Railways in domestic cricket. In the Women’s T20 Challenge (2018), the inaugural edition, Gayakwad played for the IPL Supernovas, which won the match by 3 wickets. She was named to IPL Trailblazers’ squad for the 2020 Women’s T20 Challenge, which emerged as the champions of the tournament, beating IPL Supernovas by 16 runs in the final. In the 2022 season of the Women’s T20 Challenge, she again played IPL Trailblazers.
Rajeshwari Gayakwad bowling for Trailblazers
In the 2021–22 Senior Women’s Challenger Trophy, she played for India D, which lost to India A in the final. She was the third-highest wicket-taker of the tournament with 7 dismissals. In May 2022, she was a part of the Railways’ squad which defeated Maharashtra by seven wickets to win the BCCI Women’s T-20 (2021-2022). In the 2022–23 Women’s Senior T20 Challenger Trophy, she played for India D, which emerged as champions defeating India A by 7 wickets.
Rajeshwari Gayakwad as a player of India D posing with the Women’s Senior T20 Challenger Trophy in 2022
International
She made her ODI debut against Sri Lanka at Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam on 19 January 2014. On 25 January 2014, she made her T20 debut against Sri Lanka at Dr PVG Raju ACA Sports Complex, Vizianagaram during the Sri Lanka Women tour of India 2013/14. On 16 November 2014, she made her Test debut against South Africa at Gangothri Glades Cricket Ground, Mysore during the South Africa Women tour of India 2014/15. She was named to India’s squad for the 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup. Rajeshwari’s match-winning spell of 5/15 helped India beat New Zealand, booking a semi-final berth at the world cup; her figures were India’s best in the history of the Women’s Cricket World Cup. However, England won the final against India at Lord’s by 9 runs.
Rajeshwari Gayakwad celebrating wickets in Australia vs India match during the T20I tri-series final in Melbourne on 12 February 2020
She was named to India’s squad for the 2020 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, the 2022 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, and the cricket tournament at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. India clinched a silver medal after losing to Australia by nine runs in the final at the cricket tournament at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
India women’s national cricket team posing with their silver medals at the cricket tournament at the 2022 Commonwealth Games after losing to Australia by nine runs
Rajeshwari Gayakwad emerged as one of the highest wicket-takers in the 2022 Women’s Twenty20 Asia Cup with nine dismissals. India won the tournament after defeating Sri Lanka by 8 wickets.
India women’s national cricket team after winning the 2022 Women’s Twenty20 Asia Cup
Women’s Premier League (WPL)
In February 2023, she was bought by the UP Warriorz for Rs. 40 lakhs for the inaugural season of WPL.
Facts/Trivia
- Growing up, she idolised Zaheer Khan. Later, Ravindra Jadeja became her inspiration.
- In an interview, she attributed her cricketing success to her father. She said,
My father aspired to play serious cricket but never got a chance to express himself. When he realised I had talent, he wanted that I get formal coaching. Initially, I was bowling left-arm medium pace but it was my coach who told me to try left-arm orthodox spin. Within two months of formal coaching, I was playing for the Karnataka state team”
- She was referred to as The Uncrowned Princess of Bijapur following her success at the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017.
- Although she concluded as one of the top Indian performers at the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017, she was still living in a rented house. In an interview, following the world cup, her mother said,
We have been continuously changing houses. My daughter is a successful international cricketer but we still don’t own a house.”
She was also felicitated by Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA)
Rajeshwari Gayakwad (L) and Veda Krishnamurthy being felicitated by Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) following 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup
After the world cup, the Water resources minister M. B. Patil gifted her a car worth Rs 5 lakh, which she refused saying that her priority at the moment was to buy a house for her family. She said,
Sir, it’s very kind of you for having made the gesture. But I don’t want a car; I want a house for my family, which includes mother, sister and brothers. Shelter is we what we badly need now.”
- Her jersey number for India Women and UP Warriorz is #1.
- Her batting style is right-hand bat, and her bowling style is slow left-arm orthodox.
- In November 2022, Sir Padampat Singhania University bestowed an Honorary Doctor of Philosophy Degree on Rajeshwari Gayakwad.
Rajeshwari Gayakwad receiving an Honorary Doctor of Philosophy Degree from Sir Padampat Singhania University’s faculty in November 2022
- In 2022, a video went viral on the internet in which Rajeshwari Gayakwad was seen having an altercation with a shopkeeper at a supermarket in Vijayapura’s Solapur road. Reportedly, the cricketer went into the store to buy some cosmetics when a heated argument turned violent. Rajeshwari had an argument with the shopkeeper over the price of some products and they both had a heated exchange of words. Soon, her friends barged into the shop and thrashed the shop owner. However, no complaint was registered from either side regarding the incident.
- She has a tattoo inked on her left arm.
Rajeshwari Gayakwad’s tattoo
Categories: Biography
Source: SCHOOL TRANG DAI
