Resilience has been the hallmark of Sneh Rana’s career, the all-rounder from Dehradun who has battled setbacks and injuries to establish herself as a respected figure in Indian cricket. Her rise was anything but straightforward. After moving through the junior ranks and making her India debut in 2014, she appeared destined for a long stay at the highest level. But injuries and dips in form saw her drift away from the national side, forcing her to go back to the grind of domestic cricket and rebuild her career from scratch.
That second chapter began in earnest when she forced her way back into the Indian side in 2021, and it could not have been more dramatic. In the one-off Test against England at Bristol, Rana produced an unbeaten 80 in the second innings to help India salvage a famous draw. From then on, she established herself as a dependable bowling option in ODIs while offering valuable lower-order runs. She further enhanced her reputation at the Commonwealth Games, where her nerveless final over in the semifinal against England stood out as a highlight.
The Women’s T20 League offered another chapter in her career. In the inaugural edition, she captained Gujarat in the absence of Beth Mooney, showing poise and authority even when her personal numbers were modest. Her calm influence was as important in the dressing room as on the field. The 2025 season brought an unexpected twist when she went unsold at the auction, but fate intervened after an injury to Shreyanka Patil, which saw Rana drafted in as a replacement by Bengaluru. She endured mixed results in the 2025 season for Bengaluru, but on the national stage her all-round skills provided India with the balance they needed, while her experience proved invaluable. It was no surprise then that she earned a place in the squad for the 2025 ODI World Cup at home.
