Hit, treat, repeat: Thailand cricketer bleeds to perfect idol SKY's 'Supla' shot

NEW DELHI: Thailand women’s squad cricketer Natthakan Chantham has endured a barrage of bruises, each successful pursuit of mastering Suryakumar Yadav’s trademark ‘Supla shot’ — going down connected 1 genu to scoop the shot implicit good limb oregon quadrate limb — during nett sessions.During signifier sessions, Chantham has repeatedly been struck portion attempting the shot. She gets hit, receives attraction from the physio, pads up again and goes consecutive backmost to rehearsing the stroke, determined to cleanable it.As the saying goes, signifier makes perfect, and Chantham’s stubborn dedication reflects her tendency to execute the Supla changeable with the aforesaid finesse and fearlessness arsenic her idol Suryakumar.Nicknamed ‘Jeans’ by her teammates, Chantham is expected to showcase a wide scope of innovative strokes — including her favourite Surya-inspired changeable — successful the upcoming ACC Women’s Asia Cup Rising Stars 2026, which begins connected Friday successful Bangkok. Thailand volition unfastened their run against Malaysia connected Saturday.

Apart from Thailand and Malaysia, the tourney features India, Pakistan, UAE, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

India, Pakistan, UAE and Nepal person been placed successful Group A, portion Group B consists of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Thailand.India are the defending champions, having lifted the inaugural rubric successful 2023 aft defeating Bangladesh successful the final.“I’m 100 percent acceptable for the Asia Cup due to the fact that I person been waiting for a large tourney similar this. Our squad is good prepared and acceptable to go,” Chantham told TimesofIndia.com successful an exclusive interview.“I respect Suryakumar Yadav. He is simply a fearless batter. I emotion the shots helium plays implicit quadrate limb and good limb — those are my favourites. He plays with truthful overmuch state and without immoderate pressure; you can’t spot immoderate fearfulness successful his eyes. I americium besides an attacking batter. I similar stepping retired of the crease and taking the crippled on, and I don’t similar putting unit connected myself. I besides similar Brendon McCullum and Chris Gayle. As a kid, I ever tried to transcript Suryakumar Yadav.

I got deed galore times, sometimes bled too, portion trying to cleanable that shot, but I ne'er gave up,” she said.“I truly privation to conscionable Surya someday. If I conscionable him, I volition accidental conscionable 1 happening — ‘please springiness maine your bat’ (laughs),” the batter added.

Chantham took up cricket astatine the property of nine. Her father, a schoolteacher, initially encouraged her to absorption connected academics but aboriginal backed her wholeheartedly aft recognising her passionateness for the sport.“I fell successful emotion with cricket accidentally. I utilized to deed the shot with a integrative bat. Later, my begetter gave maine a woody bat and helped maine practise. He is simply a teacher, but his relation successful my vocation has been huge. My parent runs a quality parlour. I conscionable privation to spell retired determination and triumph this tourney for some of them,” Chantham said.Chantham has played 14 ODIs and 114 T20Is successful her vocation truthful far.Watch Asia Cup Women's Rising Stars 2026 connected Sony Sports network