R Ashwin is my idol, Kuldeep Yadav motivated me with tips: Team India’s Archana Devi

India’s Archana Devi views veteran off-spinner R Ashwin as her role model.
Archana said that she aspires to emulate the 36-year-old’s feat, stating that she looks up to his confidence and hard work.
“I keep watching his bowling and how confident he is in his stride. No matter the situation, he is always confident,” she said in an interview on BCCI TV.
Archana’s journey to the pinnacle of success has been anything but inspiring.
Her mother was the family’s sole bread-earner after her father died of cancer and her brother died of a snake bite.
Her mother was called a ‘daayan’ (a witch). Then, relatives blamed Savitri Devi for sending her daughter Archana on galat rasta (wrong path). Last Sunday, Archana provided the crucial breakthrough in India’s U19 World Cup final, taking the wickets of England’s Grace Scrivens and Niamh Holland, thus helping her team to the title.

From overcoming challenges & winning the ICC Women’s #U19T20WorldCup 🙌 🙌
From idolising @ashwinravi99 to getting tips from @imkuldeep18 👌 👌#TeamIndia‘s Archana Devi discusses all this and more 👍 👍 – @ameyatilak
Full interview 🎥 🔽https://t.co/dK1VE8pEx7 pic.twitter.com/4zQECD9FXE
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) February 4, 2023
“My mother enrolled me in a school in my hometown, but we were financially weak. However, I came second in my school race, and my teacher (Punam Gupta) spotted me. She asked my mother to allow me to play. Now the decision has reaped the rewards.”
“Everyone is happy at home now. I still remember that people in my village do not know what cricket is or the differences between men’s and women’s. Now everyone knows about it after we won the world cup,” she added.
Archana also revealed that she has spoken to Kuldeep Yadav for tips.
“Whenever I had a problem, he kept motivating me and focusing on my goals,” she said.

Punam Gupta, a coach at Archana’s school was very impressed her talent. In the summer break, when she went to her home in Kanpur, she contacted Kapil Pandey, coach of Indian cricketer Kuldeep Yadav. After watching the videos of Archana, Kapil Pandey asked to bring her to Kanpur, and said he would take care of her cricket from his own pocket.
Archana was all praises for coach Nooshin Al Khadeer and credited her for keeping up the morale of the squad and providing valuable inputs that helped the team succeed.
Archana also had a message for all the budding cricketers. “Never give up on your dreams. Keep working hard, and you will surely reach your goal one day.”