Radha Yadav is an Indian cricketer who plays for the India women's national cricket team. A slow left-arm orthodox bowler and a lower-order left-handed batter, she is known for her economical bowling in limited-overs formats and has been a regular member of India's Twenty20 International squad.
Key facts
| Full name | Radha Yadav |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Indian |
| Role | Bowler (slow left-arm orthodox) |
| Batting style | Left-handed |
| National team | India |
| Domestic teams | Baroda, Gujarat (later transition), Delhi (domestic stints across seasons) |
Background
Radha Yadav was born in Mumbai, Maharashtra, and was raised in Kandivali. She moved to Vadodara in Gujarat to pursue cricket more seriously, training under coach Prashant Shetty, who was instrumental in shaping her early career. She subsequently represented Baroda in domestic women's cricket before her selection to the senior India side.
Domestic career
Radha came into prominence through performances in the Senior Women's T20 League and One Day competitions organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Her left-arm spin, combined with accuracy and variation, earned her recognition in age-group and senior domestic tournaments.
She has also featured in the Women's T20 Challenge, the precursor to the Women's Premier League (WPL), turning out for franchise sides in the exhibition tournament. With the launch of the Women's Premier League in 2023, she was picked up in the inaugural auction by the Delhi Capitals.
International career
Radha made her debut for India in Twenty20 Internationals against South Africa, and later debuted in One Day Internationals as well. She established herself as a frontline spin option for India in the shorter formats and has been part of major ICC tournament squads, including:
- ICC Women's World Twenty20 in the West Indies (2018)
- ICC Women's T20 World Cup in Australia (2020), where India reached the final
- Subsequent ICC Women's T20 World Cup editions
She has been part of India's bilateral series against teams including Australia, England, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, the West Indies and Bangladesh.
Style of play
Radha bowls slow left-arm orthodox spin, relying on flight, drift and tight lines rather than significant turn. She is typically deployed in the powerplay or middle overs of T20 matches to restrict scoring and pick up wickets against right-handed batters. As a batter, she comes in down the order and has contributed cameos in limited-overs matches.
Significance
Radha is part of the generation of Indian women cricketers who emerged in the late 2010s alongside players such as Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma, a period that saw substantial growth in the visibility, professionalisation and pay structures of women's cricket in India, culminating in the launch of the WPL.
Related topics
- India women's national cricket team
- Women's Premier League (cricket)
- Delhi Capitals (WPL)
- Board of Control for Cricket in India
- ICC Women's T20 World Cup
- Slow left-arm orthodox
References
- Wikidata entry: Q28379953
- Board of Control for Cricket in India – Women's cricket records
- International Cricket Council – Player profiles and tournament archives