HYDERABAD : The gulf in class between the duo of PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal, and the rest of the Indian women’s singles players is so big that the ‘others’ seldom hog the limelight. The only time the rest is afforded entry into the collective consciousness is during the Premier Badminton League (PBL).
One such shuttler is Rituparna Das. The World No 55 has created a buzz with her two back-to-back victories in the latest edition for North Eastern Warriors. The fact that she had big shoes of Saina to fill elevates her performances to another level. Saina has not yet hit the courts in PBL due to a shin injury.
But Rituparna made it count. In the first tie of the season, against Ahmedabad Smash Masters, she trumped World No 28 Kirsty Gilmour 15-8, 15-9 to start off her campaign. Though the win could not result in the team’s win, the management saw potential in her and projected her as the team’s Trump player in the next tie, against Mumbai Rockets on Thursday. She did not disappoint this time as well, and went on to record a 12-15, 15-10, 15-12 victory over Shriyanshi Pardeshi. This time her team came out with a 4-1 victory.
Rituparna was closely observed by Saina during the tie. After the encounter, the former revealed that Saina’s tips during this season have helped her a lot. “The experience of playing PBL is really good. You get to learn from so many players. This edition has given me the confidence that I can do much better. I got that confidence after winning the two matches.
I learnt how to shout and encourage myself during the matches. People had told me about this technique in the past, but I had never applied it. Saina didi told me: ‘Thoda josh mein khel (Play with passion).’ She told me to shout and play. That gave me a lot of confidence.”
When asked what she intends to do in the upcoming BWF season, Das said:”I want to get into the top 30. I also need to win the mid-level tournaments (Word Tour 100, 300). I want to develop the kind of will power that Saina has. She does not give up. On more thing I can learn from her in patience. She has guided me to never take any point casually.”
When this newspaper contacted veteran coach Vimal Kumar to learn how this league can alter the careers of fringe players like Rituparna, he said that the experience of playing in a tournament like this can stand them in good stead in the future.
“There is indeed a big gap when it comes to Indian female singles players. Other than Saina and Sindhu, there is nobody with the same level of speed, endurance and strength. However, there is a lot the second rung players can learn while playing in leagues like these. And it can help in the future.”