Dayanand Garani is widely recognised today thanks to his association with the Indian men’s cricket team. So is Raghu Raghavendra India’s cricketing stars openly acknowledge Raghu’s role in their success. Sri Lanka’s Nuwan Seneviratne is another familiar name in international cricket. All three have made strong reputations as “throw-down specialists.
Sachin, a 24-year-old from Berhampore, is also a throw-down specialist. On 2 November, the Indian women’s cricket team scripted history in Navi Mumbai by becoming world champions. And behind that success is the trusted arm of this young Bengali.
For the past three and a half years, Sachin has dutifully delivered throw-downs to the likes of Richa Ghosh during practice. His hard work is reflected in the blistering performances of Jemimah Rodrigues and Smriti Mandhana at the World Cup. On Wednesday, the entire team met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi. After the ceremony, speaking over the phone from Delhi, Sachin said, “It’s impossible to express this feeling of winning the World Cup. We’ve prepared for this for a long time. Now we’ve finally got the result. I’m sure this victory will change the landscape of women’s cricket in India.” Sachin, who first dreamed of becoming a cricketer, trained for three years in Berhampore and later in Jiaganj. But gradually he realised he lacked the ingredients needed to succeed on the field. So, he chose a different route to contribute from outside the 22 yards. He already had experience training junior players. After COVID, he moved to Bengaluru five years ago. After spending some time there, he earned an opportunity at the NCA. From then on, he never looked back. He first worked with the U-19 team (which included players like Musheer Khan), before getting a chance to join the senior women’s squad. What was the atmosphere like during the World Cup? “This team is always lively. No one collapses after a loss. Everyone encourages each other,” Sachin said. “Even after losing three matches in a row, no one felt pressured. And even after Australia scored heavy runs in the semifinal, the team remained confident of winning. That mentality helped us become champions." Each player trained differently for the World Cup. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur preferred taking throw-downs with a plastic ball. Vice-captain Mandhana needed faster deliveries. How many throw-downs did Sachin have to deliver each day? “I never counted. But around 600–700 every day. The captain and vice-captain took the most. Some days they would take more than 100 alone. Jemimah also loves spending extra time in the nets. Everyone had a customised training schedule based on their playing style.”
Sachin will return to his home in Berhampore for three days before heading back to Bengaluru to help the team prepare for their next series.
