Think back.
Back to your childhood.
Back to when you first fell in love with the game of cricket.
Back to when the sport consumed your every desire.
When you’d stay up till early morning to catch the radio or television broadcast of your favorite player or team doing battle halfway across the globe. For some, this might be before the days of cricket greats, West Indies’ Stephanie Taylor, India’s Sachin Tendulkar or England’s Rachael Hayhoe Flint.
When you didn’t hesitate to play on any surface. Concrete, grass, or sand, it didn’t matter as long as the ball or plastic bottle filled with rocks could bounce.
When you could carve any piece of wood into a bat comparable to the finest SS English Willow money could buy. When a crate or spot on a wall stood sturdier than three stumps.
Back when you were sure to catch a whooping for a dirty uniform. All that mattered was school and cricket.
Ritu Singh is currently at that juncture.
At first sight, there is nothing imposing about her stature, but equip her with a ball or bat and that all changes. At only 10 years old, Ritu is a more seasoned cricketer than many her age.
Ranjeet Singh is Ritu’s father, coach and possibly her biggest supporter. He introduced her to the game he grew up playing on the streets in India. It was 2012 and he decided to start a youth cricket program in Missouri. Ritu and her brother were the perfect specimen.
“Ritu was six years old then,” Ranjeet said. “She picked up the sport very quickly and was a good all round player. And she has just continued to grow and enjoy the sport.”
He started her off with a tennis ball, a year later, she was playing with a hard ball.
In two years she’d find herself playing playing against much older, experienced opponents in regional and national tournaments. One of those tournaments brought her to Atlanta.
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Picture this: Ritu representing CANAM United, clad with a helmet and bat, a head or two taller than the wicket she defended, holding her own against an opposing bowler. No surprise to her father and mother Priya but a shock to the spectators.
That was her first year at the annual Georgia Women Cricket Association T20 Tournament, an event held on Memorial Day weekend for cricketers from around the globe.
Indeed, the tournament has provided her and many women much older than her a way to flex her muscle.
Last year she returned to the tournament to take four wickets against the four-time champions Atlantis NY while playing for host team Atlanta Pearls.
Ritu currently plays in the Missouri men’s league where she’s totaled five wickets in three matches this season. She’s a bowler at heart that can score runs when needed. With all that skill takes practice and dedication.
“I enjoy bowling the most. I never get tired of bowling. I also like scoring runs for my team. I have learnt a lot of life skills like patience, team work and perseverance. And it also gives me a lot of family time as my brother and dad are mostly around.”
“We practice three hours every Saturday morning from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at youth academy. I also normally join my Dad on his team’s hardball net session on Wednesday evenings. Plus, we practice in our yard and basement whenever we can. And then I get to play matches Saturday evenings or Sundays in Men’s League. I also play in local junior hardball league.”
Her father said he’s impressed with his daughter’s progression through the years as she’s become a solid all-arounder. Playing with older opponents has helped her mature quickly and she is not intimidated by others.
Ritu’s growth also coincides with the growth of cricket in her home state of Missouri. Ranjeet said there are more clubs in the area and at least seven cities have a youth program in their respective recreational departments.
Ranjeet offered some incite as to how the sport why it is important to further develop women’s cricket in the United States.
“In the age of gender equality, the state of women’s cricket versus men is disappointing. The national governing board lacks vision and focus towards women. I think we need to nurture the existing women players and at the same time boost the performance of women players at youth level. A lot can be easily done provided we have stability and order in governance of cricket in United States.”
Asked if she sees herself representing the United States one day, Ritu responded, “Yes. I would like to, if I’m good enough to play for the USA when I grow up.”
For now there’s no time for the Ritu to think back on her days of cricket past. There is much more cricket left in her future.
