Nashra Sandhu

Nashra Sandhu player profile

Nashra Sandhu's heart was set on being a fast bowler, but she converted to left-arm spin upon being advised by a coach in her college. It paid off as she was selected to play for Lahore in the under-19 tournament in her first attempt. But her move up was hindered by a well-established Lahore side which she couldn't break into.

Sandhu got an offer to feature in a regional tournament as a guest player with the catch that it was for Abbottabad. Scheduling clashes in successive years meant that she had to drop a year during college - worry not, as she went on to get an M. Phil from the Lahore College for Women University - the upside being that she earned a spot for Pakistan A.

A good showing in a training camp ahead of the ODI World Cup Qualifiers in 2017 led to her national call-up. She debuted against South Africa in the Qualifiers where she took 3 for 51 and topped the wicket-takers' charts with 17 scalps in seven games. She took seven wickets at the ODI World Cup in England a few months later, including an eye-catching 4 for 26 against India.

Her maiden T20I came in 2017 and she was part of the 2018 T20 World Cup but couldn't hold her spot for the next edition in 2020. With increased pace and variety, she impressed on return in 2021 taking six wickets in three ODIs at an economy of 3.44 against South Africa and has grown as a reliable spinner, particularly in ODIs, alongside Nida Dar.