WPL 2023: Having made India debut with Smriti Mandhana, Sneha Deepthi now returns as a mother

Having made her debut for India alongside Smriti Mandhana, Sneha Deepthi's career didn't quite take off. But the Women's Premier League (WPL) has given her another opportunity to revive her career, and also dream of donning the India colours again.

Deepthi, who hails from Andhra, thought her professional career was heading in the right direction when she made her India debut alongside Mandhana against Bangladesh in 2013.

But even before she could cement her place in the national side, Deepthi found herself out of reckoning after playing just three matches -- two WT20Is and a WODI.

However, she continued to represent her state team, Andhra, all these years and last played for them in November 2021. So, when the opportunity came knocking with the announcement of the WPL auction, Deepthi decided to give it a try. And, voila, the 26-year-old was picked by Delhi Capitals for Rs 30 lakh.

Now a mother of two-year-old Kriva, Deepthi is back training with the Delhi franchise and eagerly waiting for the WPL to begin on March 4. In an emotional video posed by Deepthi on Delhi Capitals TV, the 26-year-old shared how difficult it was to leave young Kriva to attend the WPL camp.

"She (Kriva) started crying when I was leaving (for the team hotel in Mumbai). Then I felt whether 'I should go at all?' "Cricket and family are both important to me. Career is also very important, so I thought I must go since I've come this far," she said in the video.

"I've to enjoy the game fully. I know it's an opportunity for me to succeed if I do well here (in WPL). I want to inspire others and be a role model for other players and want people to say, 'if she can do it, we also can do'."

Before leaving for the camp in Mumbai, Deepthi took assurance from her husband that he will take care of Kriva.

"It was very difficult for me, but my husband said 'go ahead, I will handle her.'"

Five minutes into her journey to the Mumbai hotel, Deepthi called her husband back to inquire about Kriva's well-being. But what she heard from the daughter made her heart melt.

"I called her back after five minutes and she was smiling. In Telugu she said, 'Baaga aadu' which means 'play well there'."

Deepthi might have not have got a multi-crore purse like Mandhana but the satisfaction of returning to the cricket ground is much more than the millions her former India teammate has got.