Nine-year-old Anadi Tagde included in under-19 squad

Indore: Nine-year-old Anadi Tagde, a budding bowler, has made it to Indore division under-19 cricket squad.

The right-arm medium pacer is excited as she would be getting the opportunity to show her talent with the ball at inter-division under-19 girls tournament starting at Gwalior tomorrow.

"When I was just five years old, I would watch the boys in our area playing cricket and it fascinated me," she told PTI.

"The boys didn't allow me to play with them. So I used to play with my elder brother," she said.

"Then my father Anurag Tagde sent me to a local cricket club for training," she said.

"I was scared of the leather ball initially, but my father encouraged me and then the fear melted away," she said.

Her young age didn't come in the way of playing with senior girls. The seniors and her coach offered her all help, she said.

The 2008-born bowler is an admirer of Hardik Pandya, wants to play for the Indian women's cricket team one day, and meet the cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar.

Her mother Deepti used to play as a left-arm spinner at the university level.

Deepti couldn't play at the higher level. "My daughter will accomplish my dream," she said.