‘Where were you all these years?’ Kerala cricketer asked at BCCI Awards

Kerala cricket had a special moment during the BCCI Naman Awards ceremony in Mumbai on Saturday. Malayali leg-spinner Asha Sobhana was honoured with the award for Best International Debut.

The native of Thiruvananthapuram bagged a memorable 4/21 against South Africa, helping India post a thumping 143-run win in an ODI in Bengaluru in June 2024.

Asha, a latecomer to the India fold, was part of the Women's T20 World Cup held last October in the UAE. She had been a known talent in domestic cricket for long but only broke into the senior Indian squad at 32.

It wasn't surprising then to hear commentator Harsha Bhogle, who hosted the ceremony, say, "Where were you all these years? Looking forward to much more from you."

In domestic cricket, Asha played over five seasons for Kerala since making her debut in 2006. She then joined the Railways in 2011, representing them for a decade, and later was part of the Puducherry team.

She shot into fame with the Women's Premier League, representing the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. She became the first Indian player to take a five-wicket haul in the WPL, paving the way for her international debut.

Sanju Samson was another Malayali felicitated at the ceremony when he took to the stage with eight other members of the Indian team that lifted the T20 World Cup last year.