Saanvi Imadi, a 15-year-old girl with a big pitching arm, is making a name for herself in the sports world as one of the youngest players to qualify for the U.S. Under-19 Women's Cricket Team.
The Amador High School sophomore is currently in Dubai and will be participating in a series of international World Cup qualifying tournaments in the coming weeks as the newest member of the U.S. U-19 cricket team.
“I am extremely proud to play for the U.S. Women’s Cricket Team,” Saanvi wrote in an email to The Independent. “It is every athlete's dream to represent their country in a tournament such as a World Cup qualifier, and I felt that all my years of hard work had paid off.”
Growing up in Pleasanton, Saanvi and her brother were introduced to cricket by their father, Ramesh Inmadi. A lifelong cricket fan who immigrated to the United States from India in 1997, the older Imadhi sees the opportunity to introduce cricket to her children as a way to build lasting friendships with others interested in the sport. I thought there was.
“We felt there needed to be some common ground to bring the community and kids together,” said Ramesh Imadi, who started a nonprofit youth cricket league called Cricket for Cubs in the Tri-Valley several years ago. ” he said. “It's important to be active on the field and stay away from gadgets and social media to keep your mind active.”
A distant relative of American baseball, cricket is a bat and ball game played between two teams of 11 players. In the center of the field is a pitch, with wickets at each end, consisting of his two bails balanced on three stumps. The bowler, equivalent to a pitcher, rolls the ball toward the striker, or batter. The goal of the striker is to hit the bowled ball and switch places with his batting partner who stands on the opposite side of the pitch. The batting team scores when the striker hits the ball and the two batters run and switch places.
Cricket has seen a huge rise in popularity over the past decade. The Tri-Valley has several cricket clubs that cater to players of all ages.
Cities have also worked to accommodate the growing sport. In Pleasanton, a new cricket field, or pitch as it is officially called, opened in March at Ken Mercer Sports Park on Parkside Drive. There are two cricket grounds in Dublin. One is Fallon Sports Park on Fallon Drive and the other is Emerald Glen Park on Central Parkway. In Livermore, a field was constructed at Altamont Creek Park and Field on Altamont Creek Drive.
While away from Dubai, Saanvi will take part in an independent study program through Amador, allowing her to continue her studies while she is away.
“I was very fortunate to have very flexible and understanding teachers this year, so they were open and flexible with my deadlines,” Saanvi wrote. “Many of the other girls (on the team) are also in school now, so we all work together to get the job done.”
While honing her skills against arguably the best players in the world, Saanvi will keep her eyes on the ultimate prize: a spot on the 2028 Olympic women's cricket team.
“Right now I'm focused on the U-19 World Cup in January and just taking it tournament by tournament,” she added. “But yes, the Olympics are definitely in my future plans. It's not every day you get to be an Olympian.”
Her proud father agrees.
“Endgame is definitely an Olympic berth,” Ramesh Imadi said. “As a parent, you can't ask for anything more than that.”