Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh) [India], March 24 (ANI): A 22-year-old cricketer from Gwalior, Anushka Sharma, has been selected in the Indian women's T20 squad for the upcoming five-match series against South Africa, achieving a significant milestone in her career and bringing pride to Madhya Pradesh.

The cricketer also met with Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, who was on a transit visit to Gwalior on Tuesday, where the CM congratulated the cricketer on the achievement and wished her success in the upcoming international series.

Speaking to ANI, Cricketer Anushka Sharma said, 'I am feeling very happy and my family members are also quite happy. Additionally, it was my good fortune that today I met with the Chief Minister too, so extremely happy for these moments. I started playing professional cricket when I was 14 years old and played several tournaments. I played in the WPL and Women's Asia Cup Rising Stars.'

She further added that there will be a five-match series against South Africa and she will soon depart from the city to join her team for the series.

On the other hand, Gwalior district collector Ruchika Chauhan also extended greetings to the player, calling it a matter of great pride for the region.

'A Gwalior kid, Anushka Sharma, has been selected in the Indian women's cricket team. We received the good news this morning and now she will represent India in an upcoming series in South Africa. I believe there is no great honor for a player than to play for the nation. We are extremely happy for her achievement and extend our greetings to the player as well to her family,' Gwalior collector said.

She further added, 'Chief Minister Mohan Yadav also had a transit visit here and when we brought this subject to his notice, he expressed his desire to meet and bless her to perform well in the upcoming series.'

The five-match T20I series will start on April 17 and will go on till April 27.

Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur will be leading the side, with star batter Smriti Mandhana being her deputy. The likes of Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Bharti Fulmali, Uma Chetry, Anushka Sharma and wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh will provide power-packed batting options.

Anushka represented Gujarat Giants (GG) in this year's Women's Premier League (WPL). During the tournament, she was one of GG's brightest stars, scoring 177 runs in seven innings at an average of 25.28, with a strike rate of 129.19 and a best score of 44. (ANI)