India, Feb. 5 -- As Gujarat Giants faced off with Delhi Capitals in the Eliminator match of Women's Premier League 2026 on Tuesday, Sanya Malhotra did a performance mid-innings which, for her, was an ode to female athletes. "This was the first time I felt so good performing. Performing in front of the crowd was thrilling," she says.

Sanya Malhotra began her acting career as a sportsperson on screen, playing the role of wrestler Babita Phogat in the 2016 film Dangal. The film made her a household name, emerging one of the biggest hits of Hindi cinema. But the experience gave her much more than just box office glory.

The actor insists that the training for Dangal helped her realise the effort and hard work it requires to be a sportsperson...