Sathyamoorthy Keerthana

Sathyamoorthy Balakrishnan Keerthana is an emerging leg-spin bowler. Born in Chennai on October 8, 2000, Keerthana represents Tamil Nadu’s Women's Cricket team in domestic cricket and now plays for Mumbai Indians Women. 

Living in Triplicane, a neighbourhood near the famous Chepauk Stadium, she developed an early love for cricket. Her love for the sport was sparked by her father, Balakrishnan, who runs a taxi company and takes her to local venues. He frequently highlighted sports and cricket. 

The leg-break bowler thought that spin was magic and was captivated by it. She started training at Wesley Higher Secondary School in Chennai under the guidance of Mani Sundar, i.e. Washington Sundar's father. Later, she refined her abilities under trainer Peter Fernandez at the MAC Spin Academy.

Keerthana showed maturity beyond her years as she represented Tamil Nade in the Under-16 division at the age of barely 10. Later, she played with national superstars like Sneh Rana and Renuka Singh Thakur while captaining India Red in the Challengers Trophy at both the Under-19 and Under-23 levels. Her performance in the 2018–19 season, which demonstrated her superiority over others and established her as one of the greatest, made her a phenomenon.

However, timely injuries have plagued her brief career. She was sidelined for over four years due to injuries such as a meniscus ailment and tears in her ACL and LSL. But, to improve her fitness, she focused on strength and conditioning, followed a dairy and gluten-free diet, and completed an arduous rehabilitation process.

The youngster thrived after her return. In just seven games, she claimed 12 wickets at an outstanding economy rate of 5.40, making her the fifth-highest wicket-taker in the senior women's T20 Trophy 2019. She kept up her momentum at the Senior Women's One-Day Trophy in January 2024, taking 14 wickets in seven games at an economy of 3.24.  

After being monitored by WPL scouts, she was signed by the Mumbai Indians for INR 10 lakh in December 2023, becoming the first player from Tamil Nadu to be chosen for the WPL. This step allowed her to gain more recognition, practice with bowling coach Jhulan Goswami, and share her dressing room with international stars like Amelia Kerr.

Keerthana's slinging movement and deceptive bowling technique make her deliveries difficult for the batters to handle. She perfected her ability to mask her googlies and leg-breaks under coach T.S. Mukund's guidance. She bowls at a variety of paces and tight lines with ease. Meanwhile, her batting gives the team depth, making her an ideal pick.

On February 23, 2024, in Bengaluru Chinnaswamy Stadium, the willy leggie made his WPL debut against the Delhi Capitals Women. She had a costly debut, going 13 in her first over, as it wasn't the best of starts.

Off the field, Keerthana is known for her disciplined lifestyle and commitment to fitness. Her journey has been a source of inspiration, highlighting how dedication and resilience can overcome adversity. She continues to draw motivation from her family, especially her father, whose unwavering support has been a cornerstone of her career.

(As of February 2025)