Aman Mehta at 01:27, 23 January 2026

2026-01-23T01:27:59Z

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{{Short description|Indian cricketer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox cricketer
| name = Asha Sobhana
| full_name =Asha Sobhana Joy
| country = India
| female = true
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1991|03|16|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Thiruvananthapuram]], [[Kerala]], India
| batting = Right-handed
| bowling = Right-arm [[Leg spin|leg break]]
| role = [[All-rounder]]

| internationalspan = 2024–present
| international = true

| odidebutdate = 16 June
| odidebutyear = 2024
| odidebutagainst = South Africa
| odicap = 143
| lastodidate = 19 June
| lastodiyear = 2024
| lastodiagainst = South Africa

| T20Idebutdate = 6 May
| T20Idebutyear = 2024
| T20Idebutagainst = Bangladesh
| T20Icap = 82
| lastT20Idate = 9 May
| lastT20Iyear = 2024
| lastT20Iagainst = Bangladesh
| T20Ishirt = 4

| club1 = [[Kerala women's cricket team|Kerala]]
| year1 = 2006/07–2018/19, 2024/25–present

| club2 = [[Railways women's cricket team|Railways]]
| year2 = {{nowrap|2013/14–2021/22}}

| club3 = [[Pondicherry women's cricket team|Pondicherry]]
| year3 = 2022/23–2023/24

| club4 = {{nowrap|[[Royal Challengers Bengaluru (WPL)|Royal Challengers Bengaluru]]}}
| year4 = 2023–2025

| club5 = {{nowrap|[[UP Warriorz]]}}
| year5 = 2026–Present

| source = https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/asha-sobhana-550687 ESPNcricinfo
| date = 3 April
| year = 2024
| medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry| {{IND}}}}
{{MedalSport|Women's [[Cricket]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Women's Asia Cup]]}}
{{Medal|RU|[[Women's Asia Cup|2024 Sri Lanka]]|}}
}}

'''Asha Sobhana''' (born 16 March 1991) is an Indian [[cricket]]er who plays for [[Kerala women's cricket team]] in domestic cricket and for UP Warriorz in the [[Women's Premier League (cricket)|Women's Premier League]]. She is an [[all-rounder]], who is a right-handed [[Batting (cricket)|batter]] and a [[Leg spin|leg break bowler]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Profile: Asha Sobhana |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/asha-sobhana-550687 |access-date=2 April 2024 |website=ESPNcricinfo |language=en}}</ref>

== Early years ==
Born in [[Thiruvananthapuram]], [[Kerala]], she found interest in cricket while studying at [[Government Higher Secondary School for Girls, Cotton Hill|Cotton Hill Girls Higher Secondary School]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Who is Asha Sobhana? All you need to know about RCB all-rounder who picked 5-fer vs UPW in WPL 2024 |url=https://khelnow.com/cricket/wpl-2024-who-is-asha-sobhana-rcb-all-rounder |access-date=2 April 2024 |website=Khel Now |language=en-us}}</ref> Sobhana's cricket journey started when she went for her first district cricket trials and got selected for the district cricket team at the age of 12.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Kanika |date=27 February 2024 |title=Asha Shobana – Starting With Paper Balls to Becoming First Indian with WPL Fifer |url=https://www.thequint.com/sports/cricket/wpl-2024-royal-challengers-bangalores-asha-shobanas-journey-starting-with-paper-balls-to-becoming-first-indian-with-wpl-fifer |access-date=2 April 2024 |website=TheQuint |language=en}}</ref> She was mentored by former Kerala captain Shabina Jacob in her early career.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Anand |first=Ankit |date=25 February 2024 |title=Who is Asha Shobana? Everything you need to know about RCB's five-wicket hero |url=https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/who-is-asha-shobana/ |access-date=2 April 2024 |website=CricTracker |language=en}}</ref> Although initially she was a [[Fast bowling|pace bowler]], once she was bowling leg spin and was then advised by her coach to become a leg spinner.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Who Is Asha Sobhana? RCB Bowler Who Picked Fifer Against UP Warriorz In WPL 2024 |url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/who-is-shobana-asha-rcb-bowler-who-picked-fifer-against-up-warriorz-in-wpl-2024 |access-date=2 April 2024 |website=Free Press Journal |language=en}}</ref> When she was 15 years old, [[Kerala Cricket Association]] sent her to train at the MAC Spin Foundation.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date= 20 November 2019|title=Inspired by Sachin Tendulkar, Kerala's Asha S Joy dreams of winning matches for India |url=https://thebridge.in/cricket/inspired-by-sachin-tendulkar-keralas-asha-s-joy-dreams-of-winning-matches-for-india/ |access-date=2 April 2024 |website=The Bridge |language=en}}</ref>

== Domestic career ==
Sobhana made her [[List A cricket|List A]] debut for [[Kerala women's cricket team|Kerala]] on 28 November 2006, against [[Karnataka women's cricket team|Karnataka]] in the [[2006–07 Senior Women's One Day League]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=28th November 2006, Karnataka Women v Kerala Women |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/114/114944.html |access-date=2 April 2024 |website=CricketArchive}}</ref> She made her [[First-class cricket|first-class]] debut for Kerala on 10 September 2007, against [[Hyderabad women's cricket team|Hyderabad]] in the [[2007–08 Inter State Women's Competition]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=10th September 2007, Hyderabad Women v Kerala Women |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/124/124720.html |access-date=2 April 2024 |website=CricketArchive}}</ref> She made her [[Women's Twenty20|Twenty20]] debut for Kerala on 3 December 2009, against [[Tamil Nadu women's cricket team|Tamil Nadu]] in the 2008–09 [[Women's Senior T20 Trophy]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tamil Nadu vs. Kerala, 3 December 2009 |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/259/259475.html |access-date=2 April 2024 |website=CricketArchive}}</ref> She joined the [[Railways cricket team]] in 2011 and represented the team for ten years.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date= 26 February 2024|title=Hard work, determination and a bit of kismet: For RCB's Asha Sobhana, WPL is just the start |url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cricket/womens-cricket/wpl/wpl-2024-asha-sobhana-joy-stats-royal-challengers-bangalore-domestic-cricket-indian-railways-womens-cricket/article67889458.ece |access-date=2 April 2024 |website=The Hindu |language=en}}</ref>

In 2022, she left the Railways team and moved to Puducherry to do commentary for a men’s T20 tournament.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=S |first=Gomesh |date=9 March 2023 |title=Kerala leggie Asha finds Joy in WPL |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/sport/cricket/2023/Mar/09/kerala-leggie-asha-finds-joy-in-wpl-2554352.html |access-date=2 April 2024 |website=The New Indian Express |language=en}}</ref> Eventually, she was named as the captain of the Puducherry team for the [[2021–22 Women's Senior T20 Trophy]].<ref name=":0" /> In February 2024, she was signed by the [[Royal Challengers Bangalore]] at a price of ₹10 lakh to play for them in the [[2023 Women's Premier League (cricket)|2023 Women's Premier League]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 February 2024 |title=Sobhana Asha levels up to awesome for RCB |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/sobhana-asha-levels-up-to-awesome-for-rcb-1422527 |access-date=3 April 2024 |website=ESPNcricinfo |language=en}}</ref>

She was the leading wicket-taker for Puducherry in the [[2023–24 Women's Senior One Day Trophy]], picking up 16 wickets in seven matches.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Who is Asha Shobana? RCB Bowler who picked up a Fifer against UP Warriorz |url=https://www.mykhel.com/cricket/who-is-asha-shobana-wpl-2024-rcb-bowler-fifer-against-up-warriorz-266181.html |access-date=3 April 2024 |website=Mykhel}}</ref> She was also the only player to score more than 200 runs and take more than 10 wickets in that tournament.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tripathi |first=Gaurav Nandan |date=21 February 2024 |title=WPL 2024 – Six lesser known Indian players to look out for |url=https://www.cricket.com/news/wpl-2024-six-uncapped-indian-players-to-look-out-for-2212024-1708559624945 |access-date=3 April 2024 |website=Cricket.com |language=en}}</ref> On 24 February 2024, she took five wickets for 26 runs, helping RCB to beat [[UP Warriorz]] by 2 runs, during the [[2024 Women's Premier League (cricket)|2024 Women's Premier League]].<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date= 24 February 2024|title=WPL 2024: Asha Sobhana's five-for helps Royal Challengers Bangalore beat UP Warriorz in nail-biter |url=https://scroll.in/field/1064234/wpl-2024-asha-sobhanas-five-for-helps-royal-challengers-bangalore-beat-up-warriorz-in-nail-biter |access-date=3 April 2024 |website=Scroll.in |language=en-US}}</ref> With this, she became the first Indian player to take a [[five-wicket haul]] in the [[Women's Premier League (cricket)|Women's Premier League]].<ref>{{Cite web |date= 25 February 2024|title=Sobhana Asha becomes first Indian to take five-wicket haul in WPL history |url=https://www.firstpost.com/firstcricket/sports-news/sobhana-asha-indian-five-wicket-haul-wpl-13741665.html |access-date=3 April 2024 |website=Firstpost |language=en-us}}</ref> She remained as the second highest wicket-taker of the season,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Shreyanka Patil And Asha Sobhana: The RCB Spin Duo Are Here To Stay |url=https://www.forbesindia.com/article/lifes/shreyanka-patil-and-asha-sobhana-the-rcb-spin-duo-are-here-to-stay/92071/1 |access-date=3 April 2024 |website=Forbes India |language=en}}</ref> claiming 12 wickets in ten matches.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date= 18 March 2024|title=WPL: Top 5 uncapped players who have captured the limelight this season |url=https://thebridge.in/women-cricket/top-five-uncapped-players-of-the-season-two-of-wpl-46526 |access-date=3 April 2024 |website=The Bridge |language=en}}</ref>

== International career ==
In April 2024, Sobhana earned her maiden call-up to the [[India women's national cricket team|India women's cricket team]] for their [[India women's cricket team in Bangladesh in 2024|tour to Bangladesh]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Maiden call-up for two WPL stars as India announce T20I squad for Bangladesh series |url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/two-wpl-stars-earn-maiden-call-ups-as-india-announce-t20i-squad-for-bangladesh-series |access-date=15 April 2024 |work=International Cricket Council|date=15 April 2024}}</ref> She made her [[Women's Twenty20 International|Twenty20 International]] (T20I) debut in the fourth match of same series on 6 May 2024.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/1429396.html |title=4th T20I (D/N), Sylhet, May 06, 2024, India Women tour of Bangladesh |work=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=9 May 2024}}</ref> In May 2024, she was named in India's [[One Day International]] squad for the series [[South Africa women's cricket team in India in 2024|against South Africa]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/cricket/story/harmanpreet-kaur-captain-bcci-squad-announcement-indian-womens-team-ind-vs-sa-2546005-2024-05-30 |title=Harmanpreet Kaur to lead India women's multi-format squad vs South Africa |work=[[India Today]] |access-date=30 May 2024}}</ref> She made her ODI debut on 16 June 2024, against South Africa.<ref>{{Cite web |title=IND-W vs SA-W Cricket Scorecard, 1st ODI at Bengaluru, June 16, 2024 |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/india-women-vs-south-africa-women-2024-1434282/india-women-vs-south-africa-women-1st-odi-1434287/full-scorecard |access-date=2024-06-26 |website=ESPNcricinfo |language=en}}</ref> She was named in the India squad for the [[2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bcci.tv/bccilink/articles/jKTSq82Z |title=India’s squad for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024 announced |work=Board of Control for Cricket in India |access-date=3 October 2024}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*{{cricinfo|id=550687}}

{{India Squad 2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sobhana, Asha}}
[[Category:1991 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian cricketers]]
[[Category:India women One Day International cricketers]]
[[Category:India women Twenty20 International cricketers]]
[[Category:Cricketers from Thiruvananthapuram]]
[[Category:Railways women cricketers]]
[[Category:Pondicherry women cricketers]]
[[Category:Royal Challengers Bangalore (WPL) cricketers]]

Asha Sobhana - Revision history

Aman Mehta at 01:27, 23 January 2026