Domestic consistency opens India A doors for Purvaja

Purvaja Verlekar has earned a place in the India ‘A’ squad for the upcoming T20 tour of England.

PANAJI
Goa's young cricketer Purvaja Verlekar has been selected for the India ‘A’ squad for the upcoming T20 tour of England, which begins on June 20. Indeed, it is a proud moment for Goan cricket. Her selection has definitely put Goa on the national cricketing map.
“I had waited for this moment for so many years. After playing cricket for the last 10 years, this moment has finally come to me. My parents were excited after hearing the news. Getting selected for the India ‘A’ team is a big opportunity for me and I hope to make the best use of it. My focus will now be on how to contribute to the Indian team once I reach England,” said Purvaja.
The 25-year-old considers her mother her biggest inspiration and role model. “It was my mother who got me into professional cricket. She is my role model. She used to play tennis-ball cricket,” said Purvaja.
The girl from Mapusa emphasised that hard work, discipline, and determination are key to achieving success in life and sport.
Purvaja believes that because of her consistent performances in the domestic circuit in recent times, good strike rate, and power-hitting abilities, she must have been selected for the India ‘A’ squad.
“I have performed consistently well in one-day and multi-day cricket, not so much in T20s. It must be because of my good strike rate and consistent performances that I got selected for the T20 squad,” said Purvaja.
A top-order batter, Purvaja recently scored an unbeaten 166 against Hyderabad in the Senior Women's One Day Trophy in February 2026 and a brilliant 103 not out for South Zone against North Zone in the Senior Women's Inter Zonal One Day tournament in March 2026, thereby making her mark at the national level. In both these tournaments, Purvaja’s strike rate was exceptionally good.
“If given a chance in the playing XI in England, I will try my best to contribute to my team,” said Purvaja.
Apart from batting, Purvaja is also an off-spinner and can contribute with the ball as well, thereby proving to be a valuable all-rounder for the team.
But Purvaja’s journey has not been easy.
“I have faced more failures than successes in my cricketing career. It is important to be consistent. Ups and downs are part of life. It is important to bounce back and you need to have a positive attitude,” Purvaja said.
“Goa Cricket Association has always given me a lot of opportunities and supported me during my tough times, even when I was not scoring runs,” she said.
The cricketer, who has a BA degree in Economics (Hons), has also developed artistic skills like painting and music (guitar), which she is fond of pursuing in her leisure time.
With her preparations already underway, Purvaja is focused on making the most of this opportunity and delivering a strong performance on the international stage.
For someone who first played for the Goa U-16 team in 2016 as a 15-year-old, Purvaja has come a long way.