Chandigarh's Remarkable Cricket Legacy: A City of World Cup Champions
NEW DELHI: Chandigarh stands as a unique city in Indian cricket history, having produced three exceptional all-rounders who have played pivotal roles in securing World Cup victories for the nation. This remarkable legacy began with the legendary Kapil Dev, whose captaincy in the 1983 World Cup triumph fundamentally transformed cricket's trajectory in India.
The Evolution of Chandigarh's All-Round Excellence
The city's contribution continued with Yuvraj Singh, whose explosive performances were instrumental in India's World Cup successes in 2007 (T20) and 2011 (ODI). In 2025, Chandigarh found its third world-class all-rounder in Amanjot Kaur, who became an integral member of Harmanpreet Kaur's squad that secured India's first major trophy in women's cricket.
Coach Nagesh Gupta, himself hailing from Chandigarh, considers Kapil Dev his childhood hero and once harbored a singular dream: to develop at least one genuine all-rounder for India. Remarkably, he has surpassed this ambition by nurturing two world-class all-rounders in Amanjot Kaur and Kashvee Gautam. The latter has recently earned a national call-up for India's tour of Australia scheduled for February-March.
Coach Nagesh Gupta's Vision and Methodology
Following the squad announcement, a proud Nagesh Gupta shared an Instagram post featuring pictures of both Kashvee and Amanjot, captioned "Two all-rounders. One standard." In an exclusive conversation, he reflected on his inspiration: "Kapil Dev is like a hero for me. When we started watching cricket, there were only two names that even our parents used to talk about - Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar."
Kashvee has been selected for the ODI series, while Amanjot has earned her place across all three formats, showcasing their versatile capabilities.
Planting the Seeds of Excellence
Both Kashvee and Amanjot began their training under Nagesh Gupta's guidance in 2016, arriving within just four to five days of each other as his first two female students. Amanjot was referred by his friend Deepinder Singh, while Kashvee came through former Punjab Ranji Trophy player Sanjay Dhull.
Initially focusing on bowling, Coach Gupta soon recognized the crucial importance of developing their batting skills. "We realized over time that batting is very important. At that time, India did not have many all-rounders, so the perspective was to develop the all-round game that would help them in the long run," he explained. This strategic insight led to extensive work on both players' batting techniques.
Overcoming Challenges and Injuries
The journey hasn't been without obstacles. As fast-bowling all-rounders, both Amanjot and Kashvee have faced significant physical challenges. Amanjot suffered a back stress fracture before the 2025 Women's Premier League and was sidelined for two months with a back niggle prior to the World Cup. Kashvee experienced a knee injury during her debut ODI series in Sri Lanka last year, resulting in seven to eight months of recovery.
After completing rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, Kashvee reunited with Coach Gupta ahead of the Women's Premier League 2026 season. During their intensive ten-day training session, Gupta implemented specialized routines to ensure her tournament readiness. "I used to call her at a different time than the usual academy hours so that I could fully focus on her," he revealed, detailing their gradual progression from short run-ups to full-intensity bowling sessions.
Skill Development and Technical Refinement
While Amanjot traditionally batted in the top order and Kashvee in the lower order, Coach Gupta has focused on enhancing their power-hitting capabilities without compromising fundamental techniques. "When Kashvee and Amanjot started playing, women's T20 cricket was not such a big thing. During the initial years, we worked on making both of them technically strong," he recalled, noting Amanjot's particularly strong back-foot game development.
Gupta addressed specific weaknesses with targeted solutions. "In one season, Amanjot struggled to rotate the strike against spinners. To overcome that, we developed her game square of the wicket, including sweep shots." As T20 cricket evolved, he incorporated extensive power-hitting drills to help both players adapt to modern scoring demands.
Bowling Evolution and Technical Mastery
Kashvee's bowling has undergone significant transformation under Gupta's guidance. While she always possessed a strong inswinger as her stock delivery, she has now developed the ability to "hit the deck hard," making her bowling more lethal. This technique involves sharply flexing the wrist before release to create backspin, causing the ball to skid off the surface unpredictably.
"If you just release the ball, the batter gets more time to react and the ball is pitched up more often, making it easier to hit boundaries. If you hit the deck hard, the batter has less time to react," Gupta explained, highlighting the strategic advantage of this approach.
Future Prospects and Injury Prevention
Looking ahead, Coach Gupta plans biomechanical adjustments to both players' bowling actions to reduce injury risks. "We have plans to make some biomechanical changes, but for that we need at least a month. Both remain busy due to a tight schedule, but if we get time, we will try to implement them," he stated, emphasizing the importance of sustainable development.
Kashvee has successfully returned after missing most of the 2025-26 season, while Amanjot cemented her place in cricket history by taking the match-turning catch to dismiss South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt in the ODI World Cup final in Navi Mumbai on November 2 last year.
The Continuing Legacy
Quality seam-bowling all-rounders remain among the most sought-after assets in Indian cricket, and Nagesh Gupta's protégés Amanjot Kaur and Kashvee Gautam represent promising prospects for the coming decade. Reflecting on their potential, Gupta expressed optimism: "Kapil Dev is a hero for them too. If their careers reach even 60 to 70 per cent of what Kapil achieved, it would be great."
Chandigarh's cricket legacy continues to flourish through these remarkable athletes, bridging generations of excellence from Kapil Dev's pioneering achievements to the emerging talents shaping women's cricket today.
