A story of resilience & shared dreams: Hemalatha's journey

AYALAN Hemalatha had to battle every step of the way to get where she is now. Whether it was being dropped from the national setup or constant run-ins with injuries, she has endured enough for a lifetime already. In the journey that started from Chennai more than a decade ago to the 2024 T20 World Cup now in UAE, two friends, V Bobby Gulecha and S Anusha, have stood by the India batter in thick and thin.

- KALYANI MANGALE

Now, with their friend at the biggest stage, the duo is over the moon for her. "It feels proud though I could not make it to the highest level, but seeing her at the highest level it feels like we live that dream with her. That is the happiness we have for her," Bobby, who is the coach of the Tamil Nadu U19 women, tells this daily. "From the U19 age, we knew she was going to make it big. Ten years back, there were very few you could see crossing the boundary. She had the ability and her cover drive is such a pleasure to watch," she added.