Neelam Bhardwaj created history, became the youngest Indian woman to score a double century in List A

18 year old cricketer Neelam Bhardwaj from Uttarakhand has set a new record in the history of cricket. Neelam has become the youngest Indian woman to score a double century in a List A match. On the basis of her brilliant innings, Uttarakhand registered a big win over Nagaland by 259 runs in the Senior Women’s ODI Trophy on 10 December 2024.

Neelam Bhardwaj’s explosive innings

Neelam Bhardwaj in her brilliant innings:

• Scored 202 unbeaten runs on 137 balls.
• During this, he hit 27 fours and 2 sixes.
• He hit shots all around the ground and thrashed the Nagaland bowlers.

The bowlers of Uttarakhand also performed amazingly. Experienced Indian bowler Ekta Bisht took 5 wickets with an excellent economy rate of 1.40. Due to Neelam’s batting and Ekta’s bowling, Nagaland team was all out for just 112 runs.

History of double century in Indian women’s cricket

This achievement of Neelam Bhardwaj adds another chapter to the glorious history of Indian women’s cricket. Before this, Smriti Mandhana and Mithali Raj have also scored double centuries.

1. Smriti Mandhana:
   • Scored unbeaten 224 runs for Maharashtra Under-19 against Gujarat Under-19 in 2013-14.
2. Mithali Raj:
   • Played a historic inning of 214 runs in the test match against England in 2002. This is the highest individual score by an Indian woman in Test cricket.

Neelam’s name has now been included in the list of these giants.

Inspirational journey of Neelam Bhardwaj

Neelam Bhardwaj’s journey has been full of difficulties, but her determination and hard work have brought her to this point.

• family background:
  • Neelam grew up in the slums near Ramnagar railway station in Kumaon.
  • His father, a daily wage labourer, was the sole breadwinner of the family.
  • The family fell into financial crisis after an accident in 2020.
• Early Struggles:
  • Neelam started playing cricket at the age of 8.
  • Coach Mohammad Israr Ansari helped with his initial cricket expenses.
  • At the age of 12, he impressed the selectors in the Under-19 trials.
  • Neelam got a chance in the team with the support of a BCCI selector.

Neelam’s double century: a milestone

This double century of Neelam Bhardwaj is an important milestone in her career. His success showed how great achievements can be achieved with hard work, dedication, and dedication even in difficult circumstances.

His innings is an inspiration not only for him but also for the emerging young cricketers.