Veda Krishnamurthy leaves Railways to rejoin Karnataka

Veda represented Railways in domestic cricket for seven years but is set to return to her home State from the start of this new season.

Former India cricketer B.S. Chandrashekar and Veda Krishnamurthy during the KPL trophy launch ceremony in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

India international Veda Krishnamurthy has left Railways to rejoin Karnataka. Veda represented Railways in domestic cricket for seven years but is set to return to her home State from the start of this new season. “I just got my resignation letter today. I’m excited that I’m back in Karnataka. It feels good to be back home with all my friends, back to my comfort zone. I hope it will make me a better player,” she said, after unveiling the KPL trophy here on Tuesday.

READ: After a stellar season, Mandhana wants to add more power to her game

The 26-year-old batsman from Chikmagalur stated that she had been considering the move for a while. “I’ve actually been thinking about it for a couple of years,” she said. “There came a point where I felt it had to be done. All my life I’ve stayed out and I’ve never spent much time with my family, my parents especially, because they are old now. If I’m here in Bangalore, I’ll have more family time as well.”

No easy decision

Resigning from her job with the Railways was not an easy decision, Veda admitted. “When it came to my career as well as my personal life, it was a huge decision that I took. A job is something you can fall back on if nothing works out. At the same time, it came to a point where I decided, ‘Not any more.’ I needed some kind of freedom, that comfort level and that happiness you get. I decided to take up what makes me happy now,” she said.

Moving from a domestic giant like Railways to a relatively inexperienced side like Karnataka would have its challenges, Veda felt. “At Railways, nearly everyone was playing for India. The competitive level here may not be as high as it was in the Railways team but at the same time the responsibility on me will be greater. When the youngsters look up to you, the pressure to perform increases. Being part of a team as successful as Railways, you know how to win matches. I’d like to impart that knowledge to our players. If we can have three or four players from Karnataka competing for the Indian team, that will be a huge success,” she said.

KPL to feature three-team women's tournament After exhibition matches in previous years, this edition of the KPL is all set to feature a three-team women's tournament. Three franchises -- Belagavi Panthers, Bellary Tuskers, and Shivamogga Lions -- will field women's sides, with six round-robin matches (two rounds) and a final to be played at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here. There will then be an exhibition match in Mysuru, between two teams drawn from the combined pool of women's players in the State. "I'm really looking forward to it," said Veda Krishnamurthy. "It will give our players a lot of exposure ahead of the domestic season."