Vidarbha’s quiet hero in women’s loudest triumph | Cricket News
Nagpur: As the stadium erupted after India’s victory on Sunday night, it was star batter Jemimah Rodrigues who tracked him down in the cacophony.She wrapped him in a hug that was more eloquent than words — gratitude, relief, joy. Aniruddha Deshpande, the team’s performance analyst, joined in the celebrations but skirted the arc lights. His joy wasn’t loud, it was the quiet kind that comes when months of unseen work finally find its triumphant moment on the field.
Deshpande told TOI he had dreamt and manifested this moment for years. “I have been involved with women’s cricket since 2016. I know most players since their National Cricket Academy days,” he said.Born into a tech family in Amravati, 150km off Nagpur, Deshpande combined his two passions — sport and technology. A former Vidarbha Under-19 cricketer, he once dreamt of making it big with bat and ball. But destiny had a subtler role for him. After his master’s in computer applications in 2009, he discovered the world of performance analysis — a place where sport met science. That blend became his calling. When then Vidarbha coach Sulakshan Kulkarni sought a video analyst in 2010, Deshpande’s name surfaced. What followed played a huge part in Vidarbha’s success. His clips, camera angles and analytical dissections became the team’s secret weapon. “He’s more than an analyst. He’s the guy who throws balls in the nets, fixes your batting video, and patiently listens when you’ve had a bad day,” say sources from the Vidarbha Cricket Association.
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When India lifted the trophy, Deshpande didn’t rush to the stage. He stood with his four-year-old son and family in the stands — smiling and fulfilled.For a man who spent his life behind the screen, this was his frame of triumph.
