Aavishkar Salvi Lauds Young Spinner Sree Charani Ahead of Asia Cup Clash

Praise for Sree Charani

Dubai [UAE], September 2: Aavishkar Salvi, the bowling coach for the Indian women's cricket team, has expressed high regard for emerging spinner Sree Charani, calling her an "exceptional talent" as the team prepares for their upcoming match against Hong Kong, China Women in the ACC Women’s Asia Cup 2026 on Thursday.

Charani, who currently holds the top position in the ICC T20I bowling rankings, was instrumental in India's commanding 94-run win over Thailand Women in their first match of the tournament on Sunday. She achieved remarkable bowling figures of 2/10 in three overs, contributing significantly to bowling Thailand out for a mere 65 runs while defending a target of 160.

During the pre-match press briefing, Salvi highlighted Charani's significant influence on the team, her dedication to mastering the fundamentals, and her enthusiasm for learning. He commended her training regimen, noting that she consistently puts herself in various match scenarios to enhance her skills.

"She is truly an exceptional talent. From her very first day with the Indian women's cricket team, she has made a noticeable impact. Just a year later, her ranking reflects her progress. She focuses on the basics during practice and is always eager to learn something new. Observing her practice sessions, you can see that she challenges herself with different situations each time she steps into the nets," Salvi remarked.

In their opening match, India scored 159/9, with Shafali Verma leading the charge with a stunning 64 runs off 36 balls. The Indian bowlers were relentless, dismissing Thailand for just 65 runs in 16.1 overs.

Deepti Sharma was particularly impressive, taking 3 wickets for no runs in just 1.1 overs, while Nandni Sharma also contributed with 3/18, and Charani added 2/10 to her tally. Although Nannapat Koncharoenkai managed to score 41 runs for Thailand, the rest of the batting lineup struggled.

Shafali's innings included eight fours and three sixes, and she was supported by Pratika Rawal, who scored 22 on her T20I debut. Thailand's Suleeporn Laomi was their standout bowler, finishing with figures of 3/26.

This match also marked a significant milestone for Deepti Sharma, as she played her 150th T20I match, becoming only the third Indian player to achieve this feat, following in the footsteps of Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana.

As India gears up for their next challenge against Hong Kong, China Women on September 3, they aim to continue their winning streak.