Rajeshwari Gayakwad is an Indian cricketer who plays as a slow left-arm orthodox bowler for the national team. She has represented Karnataka, Railways, Trailblazers and Supernovas in domestic cricket. She was bought by the franchise team UP Warriorz for the inaugural season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) in 2023.
Rajeshwari Gayakwad Bio
Physical Stats
| Height (approx.) | in centimeters– 161 cm in meters– 1.61 m in feet & inches– 5’ 3” |
| Eye Colour | Black |
| Hair Colour | Black |
Cricket
| International Debut | ODI– on 19 January 2014 against Sri Lanka at Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam Test– on 16 November 2014 against South Africa at Gangothri Glades Cricket Ground, Mysore during the South Africa Women tour of India 2014/15 T20– on 25 January 2014 against Sri Lanka at Dr PVG Raju ACA Sports Complex, Vizianagaram during the Sri Lanka Women tour of India 2013/14 |
| Jersey Number | #1 (India Women) #1 (UP Warriorz) |
| Domestic/State Team | • Karnataka (2008/09–2014/15) • Railways (2015/16–present) • Supernovas (2018) • Trailblazers (2019–2022) • UP Warriorz (2023–present) |
| Batting Style | Right-hand bat |
| Bowling Style | Slow left-arm orthodox |
Family
Her father, Shivanand Gayakwad, was a primary school teacher in a government school. He died of cardiac arrest while watching an IPL match with her daughters at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in 2014. Her mother’s name is Savitha Gayakwad.
She has two brothers, Kashinath Gayakwad and Vishwanath Gayakwad, and two sisters, Rameshwari Gayakwad and Bhuvaneshwari Gayakwad. Kashinath Gayakwad is a professional tabla player, who has won 3 state awards at the district level. Her younger brother Vishwanath Gayakwad is a badminton and volleyball player.
Her younger sister, Rameshwari Gayakwad, is also a professional cricketer who plays for Karnataka. Bhuvaneshwari has represented the state hockey team of Karnataka.
She is unmarried and follows Hinduism.
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Facts
- Growing up, she idolised Zaheer Khan. Later, Ravindra Jadeja became her inspiration.
- In an interview, she attributed her cricketing success to her father.
- She was referred to as The Uncrowned Princess of Bijapur following her success at the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017.
- Although she concluded as one of the top Indian performers at the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017, she was still living in a rented house.
- Her jersey number for India Women and UP Warriorz is #1.
- Her batting style is right-hand bat, and her bowling style is slow left-arm orthodox.
- In November 2022, Sir Padampat Singhania University bestowed an Honorary Doctor of Philosophy Degree on Rajeshwari Gayakwad.