Nandni Sharma: Bapu Dham girl who bowled her way to Team India

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25-year-old cricketer’s Women’s Premier League 2026 campaign included a five-wicket haul and hat-trick

Chandigarh, September 27

From playing cricket on the streets of Bapu Dham Colony in Chandigarh at the age of nine to representing India on the international stage, 25-year-old cricketer Nandni Sharma’s journey has been marked by persistence, opportunity and a series of breakthroughs.

The Chandigarh cricketer, who once played alongside boys in her neighbourhood, has now emerged as one of the city’s promising names in women’s cricket.

She also trained with her brother at an academy in Sector 26, Chandigarh, but did not get an opportunity to play there.

At 11, Nandni was playing cricket with boys in the streets of Bapu Dham Colony when Deepinder Chabra spotted her talent. He was particularly impressed by the strength of her arms while throwing and bowling and offered free coaching to Nandni and her brother at his LIC Cricket Academy.

After training at the academy, Nandni progressed through junior and senior domestic cricket and was selected for the Chandigarh team.

She made her senior domestic debut for the Chandigarh Women’s Cricket Team on October 14, 2019, in the 2019-20 Senior Women’s T20 Trophy.

During the 2024-25 domestic season, Nandni took 11 wickets in six matches in the Senior Women’s One-Day Trophy for Chandigarh. In the 2025 domestic season, she also got an opportunity to captain the Chandigarh team.

Her domestic performances earned her a place in the Women’s Premier League 2026 with Delhi Capitals, who bought her for Rs 20 lakh. The previous year, she had been associated with Royal Challengers Bangalore as a net bowler.

Nandni came into the spotlight after taking five wickets for 33 runs against Gujarat Titans Women. She also claimed a hat-trick in the same match, became the first bowler to take a five-wicket haul in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) and received the Emerging Player of the Season award. She finished with 17 wickets and was a joint leading wicket-taker in the tournament.

She subsequently made her India debut in England in May 2026, taking three wickets for 34 runs. She was also part of the T20 World Cup team, the 2026 Women’s Asia Cup and India’s Asian Games gold medal-winning squad.

Under the Chandigarh Administration’s 2023 Sports Policy, Nandni Sharma is eligible for a Rs 3 crore cash award as an Asian Games gold medallist. The official announcement of the award is yet to be made.