International career

Asha Sobhana is an Indian cricketer who made her mark on the international stage with the India women's cricket team. Here’s a look at her key milestones:

• April 2024: Asha received her first call-up to the India women’s cricket team for their tour of Bangladesh.
• 6 May 2024: She played her first T20I match in the fourth game of the series against Bangladesh.
• May 2024: Asha was included in the Indian squad for the ODI series against South Africa.
• 16 June 2024: She debuted in the ODI format against South Africa.
• 2024 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup: Asha was part of the squad but had to leave the match against Australia in Sharjah due to an injury just after the toss.

By February 2025, Asha had played 13 international matches.

Leagues Participation

Here is a look at her participation in the Women's Premier League:

Women's Premier League

In February 2024, Asha Sobhana joined the Royal Challengers Bangalore for ₹10 lakh to play in the 2023 Women's Premier League. On 24 February 2024, she took five wickets for 26 runs in a match against UP Warriorz, helping her team win by 2 runs. She became the first Indian player to take a five-wicket haul in the Women's Premier League. Asha finished the season as the second highest wicket-taker with 12 wickets in 10 matches.

Asha Sobhana will miss the 2025 Women's Premier League due to a knee injury. Nuzhat Parveen will replace her in the Royal Challengers Bangalore team.

Year	Team	Notes
2024	Royal Challengers Bangalore	Took 5 wickets for 26 runs in a match, second highest wicket-taker of the season with 12 wickets in 10 matches
2025	Royal Challengers Bangalore	Misses the season due to knee injury, replaced by Nuzhat Parveen

Domestic career

Asha Sobhana started playing cricket at the age of 12 when she was selected for the district cricket team after attending trials. She was mentored by Shabina Jacob, the former Kerala captain, early in her career. Although she initially bowled pace, her coach encouraged her to switch to leg spin. When she was 15, the Kerala Cricket Association sent her to the MAC Spin Foundation for training.

Sobhana played her first List A match for Kerala on 28 November 2006 in the 2006–07 Senior Women's One Day League. Her first-class debut for Kerala came on 10 September 2007 in the 2007–08 Inter State Women's Competition. She played her first Twenty20 match for Kerala on 3 December 2009 in the 2008–09 Women's Senior T20 Trophy.

In 2011, Sobhana joined the Railways cricket team, where she played for ten years. In 2022, she moved to Puducherry and took on a commentary role for a men's T20 tournament. Later, she became the captain of the Puducherry team for the 2021–22 Women's Senior T20 Trophy.

In the 2023–24 Women's Senior One Day Trophy, Sobhana led the Puducherry team in wickets, taking 16 wickets in seven matches. She also scored over 200 runs and took more than 10 wickets in the tournament. During the 2024 Women's Premier League, she helped Royal Challengers Bangalore beat UP Warriorz with a standout performance, taking five wickets for 26 runs.

Records and achievements

Asha Sobhana has achieved several notable records and awards:

• First Indian Player to Take Five Wickets in a WPL Match: On 24 February 2024, Sobhana took 5 wickets for 26 runs in a match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and UP Warriorz in the 2024 Women’s Premier League.
• Leading Wicket-Taker for Puducherry in the 2023-24 Women’s Senior One Day Trophy: She took 16 wickets in seven matches.
  Only Player to Score Over 200 Runs and Take More Than 10 Wickets in the 2023-24 Women’s Senior One Day Trophy: Sobhana was the only player to achieve both milestones in the tournament.
• Player of the Match in the 2024 Women’s Premier League: She received the award for her 5-wicket performance in the match against UP Warriorz in the 2024 WPL.
• Personal life

Asha Sobhana was born in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. She became interested in cricket while studying at Cotton Hill Girls Higher Secondary School.

Family

Asha is the daughter of S. Sobhana and B. Joy. She has one brother, Anoop Joy. Asha is married to Ashwin Vijay.

Finance

In 2024, Asha Sobhana's net worth is around $35,000, which is approximately 30 lakhs in Indian Rupees.

Scandals

In 2024, during the Women's T20 World Cup, Asha injured her knee while warming up before a match against Australia. She was replaced by Raja Yadav, following the MCC rule, which allows a team to change its lineup with the opposing team's approval.

Asha also spoke out in 2024 against critics of the Women's Premier League, who doubted the quality of Indian women's cricket players. At an RCB event, she said critics should look at domestic cricket in India to better understand the talent.

Fans

After her success in the Women's Premier League, Asha became more recognized. In 2024, fans began asking for pictures whenever they saw her. Her social media also grew, reaching 100k followers on Instagram.