New Delhi: One of the greatest cricketers to have played for the Australian women’s cricket team and an inspiration to budding women cricketers worldwide, Lisa Sthalekar’s journey to the top echelons of world cricket is nothing short of a fairytale. From an orphanage in Pune to reaching the pinnacle of women’s cricket, Sthalekar’s success has a story to tell.
Lisa’s biological parents left her at the doorsteps of an orphanage in Pune after she was born. Life could have taken a drastic turn for her but she was adopted by an American couple when she was just three months old. Lisa’s cricketing journey began when her parents shifted from the US to Australia to begin a new life.
Born in Pune, made in Australia
Many would be surprised to know Lisa Sthalekar is an Indian by birth. Her biological parents left her outside the Shreevasta orphanage inside Sassoon Hospital in Pune after she was born on August 13, 1979. Her biological parents couldn’t support her and the unnamed child found a new lease of life at the orphanage where she was also given the name ‘Laila’.
She was adopted at just three months old by an American couple Haren Sthalekar and Sue Sthalekar, who visited the orphanage in Pune. The Sthalekar couple initially wanted to adopt a boy as they already had a daughter, however, they fell in love with Laila at first sight and decided to take her with them. The couple named their daughter Lisa and travelled back to the US after completing the formalities.
After four years of living in the US and Kenya, Haren and Sue shifted permanently to Sydney in Australia where Lisa began her journey as a cricketer. From playing cricket with her father in the backyard of their house to making others witness her talent and prowess in the cricket ground in and around Syndey, there was no looking back as Lisa established her credentials as a promising young all-rounder.
“My father loved the game and I spent a fair bit of them with him in the backyard. I would’ve been about 8-9 when I fell in love with the game,” she once told The Print.
From Sydney grounds to the pinnacle of Australian cricket
A hard-hitting batter and a talented spinner, Lisa made her international debut for Australia in June 2001. She quickly established her credentials as one of the best all-rounders in the world and became a vital cog in the Australian women’s cricket team across formats. She played for Australia for over a decade between 2001 and 2012, representing the country in a total of 187 matches across formats with more than 4000 runs and over 200 wickets to her name.
She was the first female cricketer to score 1,000 runs and pick up 100 wickets in ODIs and was the no.1 all-rounder in women’s ODIs for a considerable period after ICC’s ranking system began. Lisa also captained Australia later in her career and retired from international cricket after helping her country clinch glory in the 2013 Women’s ODI World Cup. She won two ODI World Cups and two T20 World Cups with Australia.
Former Australian women’s cricket team captain Lisa Sthalekar was left at the doorstep of an orphanage in Pune afetr birth and adopted when she was just 3 months old. She went on to become one of the best players ever to have played for Australia. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
