When B Anusha was in Class 7, her physical education (PE) teacher encouraged her to play for her school in the Rural Cricket Tournament for Girls, hosted by Anantapur Sports Academy (ASA).
Anusha comes from a remote village called Bandlapalli in Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh. Her parents are farmers who have a small plot of land, and her father also works as a tractor driver for hire. Playing sports seriously was not considered an option for her. But the then 13-year-old left-arm spinner was named the best player of the tournament and received a scholarship from ASA to attend their residential academy.
Anusha, now 20, has since played for the Andhra Pradesh Under-16, Under-19, and Women’s Senior State teams.
“Playing sports at ASA has helped [me] in many ways,” she says. “It made me more confident than I ever was. It gave me exposure and financial help through playing for the senior State team, which I needed …Alongside, playing sports at ASA has…