At 12, Chakshita gets a Delhi Premier League deal

Chakshita Sehrawat, a 12-year-old girl, has created waves in Delhi women' cricket circle after she became the youngest to bag a contract in the Delhi Premier League auction held at the Taj Palace on Monday.

Chakshita was picked by South Delhi Superstarz for the base price of Rs 75,000 in Category C.

The opening batter, who is also an off-spinner, began playing cricket after watching her younger brother play. The two, separated by 1.5 years, are at Bal Bhavan School, Dwarka, which is now a hub of some of the talented cricketers in the Capital.

"She saw her brother, Neerav, play cricket and got inspired to play," says father Parmeshwar, who is with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) posted in Arunachal Pradesh.

"I used to make my son practice in the park, and she would also join. I saw her batting and was impressed with the shots. The coaches -- Rajesh Nagar and Kirti Arya, who have helped us, advised that she should pick the bat. And she did well."

Coach Nagar has great words for her.

"She plays with an aggressive mindset and maintains a strike rate close to 100. We made her play with the boys also, and she performed. She did well in under-12 and under-14 levels. We thought we should make her play league," says Nagar.

Chakshita, who has been playing for two years now, scored two fifties in the three matches she played in the recent DDCA Women's T2 League that featured 43 club teams.

"I am usually away on duty, so I can't give much time to her but the coaches have done an incredible job and I am thankful to them. This is a great achievement. She puts in a lot of effort," says Parmeshwar, who hails from Haryana and is on his second stint in the Northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh. He was posted in Srinagar prior to the current posting.

Tags : Chakshita, Delhi Premier League, women's cricket, DPL, Bal Bhavan, ITBP, Arunachal Pradesh