‘WPL changed girls’ destiny’:Shikha Pandey sheds light on India’s World Cup victory; IAF officer-turned-cricketer says, ‘Fortunate to wear two uniforms’

Indian women’s cricket team all-rounder Shikha Pandey will play with UP Warriorz this season in the WPL. In the WPL auction, she was bid for 2.40 crore rupees against a base price of 40 lakh. Shikha Pandey, who grew up in Goa, has roots connected to Jaunpur and Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh. Shikha was commissioned as an officer in the Air Traffic Control branch of the Air Force. The special thing was that she did not get in through the sports quota but through academic entry, yet she is the first woman officer from the Air Force to represent the India team. She is a Squadron Leader. She feels proud to play for Team India, being from UP, and to be associated with the Air Force. She arrived at a LitFest in Lucknow. Here, we spoke to her… Shikha Pandey talked a lot about both her careers, her journey so far, the rights of women players, and WPL. Read… What is the experience of playing both roles, Air Force Officer and Team India player? I consider myself very lucky to have had the opportunity to wear two uniforms at once. Wearing the blue jersey with jersey number 12 for India and donning the blue uniform of the Indian Air Force, were both my childhood dreams. Very few people get the chance to dream two big dreams and then make them come true, so this journey taught me a lot and gave me a different kind of pride. How much struggle was there in your cricket journey? What is the story of reaching cricket from a teacher family background? I grew up in Goa, but my roots are from Uttar Pradesh. My father is from Jaunpur and my mother is from Azamgarh, so there was always a sense of belonging. They say that there is struggle in every journey, but my father and mother supported me a lot from the beginning. They were happy that I wanted to play cricket, but at the same time, they also emphasised studies because my father himself was a teacher. There was an atmosphere of education in the house. How did you balance between an Air Force job and professional cricket? Initially, it was very difficult to maintain a balance, especially when I was pursuing engineering; many times it felt like choosing a professional degree and a professional sport simultaneously was perhaps a very difficult decision, but during college, my lecturers and coursemates helped a lot, they always motivated me, which enabled me to continue both my studies and cricket. Even while being an officer in the Air Traffic Control Branch of the Air Force, the Air Force Sports Control Board kept many rules flexible for me, so that I could get leave to play in domestic tournaments and become the first officer from the Air Force to represent the Indian team. What arrangements did the Air Force make for you to play cricket? Women were recruited into the Air Force in the Officer Cadre, and I was selected through academic entry after clearing F-CAT and SSB in the Air Traffic Control Branch, meaning I did not come through the sports quota. In such a situation, the biggest support for me was that I was granted leave to play in various domestic tournaments, which is not easy. They understood that an Air Force officer was representing the Indian team, and they were also proud of this. Even today, job opportunities for women cricketers in India are limited; institutions like the Railways and, gradually the Income Tax Department are providing employment, but there is still a great need for development. Has WPL proven to be a major factor in talent nurturing in women’s cricket? WPL has given a new dimension to women’s cricket and it has largely contributed to India recently winning the 2025 ODI World Cup. Although the format is different, the practice of high-pressure matches has strengthened the team. When domestic cricketers play shoulder to shoulder with international players, their confidence increases, their perspective on understanding the game changes, and their learning speed also multiplies. Just as the standard of men’s cricket rose after the IPL, similarly, with the continuous running of WPL and the increase in teams, the standard of women’s cricket is also rising further. More talent is coming to the forefront. What is your connection with Uttar Pradesh and what was your experience playing from UP? It is very special for me that I am playing for the Uttar Pradesh team. My roots are also connected here, so along with a sense of belonging, I also feel a different responsibility. Before this, I have also played for Delhi Capitals, but I couldn’t win the trophy there, now the effort is to give my 100% for UP Warriorz and contribute to winning the title with the team. What is your message for young athletes, especially girls, who are confused about both studies and sports? The most important thing for young athletes is to be clear about their dreams and never compromise on hard work, whether it’s on the field or in the classroom. Balancing both studies and sports seems difficult at first, but with proper planning, family support, and the guidance of mentors, it is entirely possible, and in a long career, this backup becomes your greatest strength.