New Delhi, Jan. 8 -- For years, when it came to women's cricket, Madhya Pradesh existed on the fringes. But now, the state has one of the most fertile cricketing ecosystems, winning domestic titles and becoming the feeder region for the India team and Women's Premier League (WPL). At the 2025 WPL auction, 12 players from MP were registered and five bought. Anushka Sharma (Gujarat Giants), Kranti Gaud (UP Warriorz), Pooja Vastrakar - one of India's top allrounders whose career has been marred by injuries - could return, if fit, with RCB. Rahila Firdous and Sanskriti Gupta were signed by MI. In the last two years, players from MP have consistently earned India call-ups. The most recent entrant is the impressive left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma, a member of the 2025 U19 World Cup-winning squad. She impressed on debut in the T20 series against Sri Lanka. Last year, Shuchi Upadhyay, also a left-arm spinner, and Gaud made their India debuts. From Chambal to Ghuwara, Bhopal to Gwalior, MP players are emerging thanks to a carefully built system. "The moment Chandrakant (Pandit) sir came, our thinking changed," allrounder Anushka, one of the young WPL entrants, told HT, referring to the former India player who has made a huge impact with domestic teams as coach. "He explained how to win, which routes to take, which processes to follow, and how to execute under pressure." According to Rohit Pandit, chief administrative officer of the state body (MPCA), the foundation was laid long before the recent success. "MP has a rich history of women's cricket going back to the 1970s. Those players stayed connected to the game as coaches, selectors, mentors." Identifying talent through structured tournaments, age-group scouting and integrating youngsters early into senior environments remained a priority, he said. The acceleration has happened in the last five years after Pandit arrived as chief coach. Since then, MP has held four-month camps, from June to October. "These aren't just pre-tournament camps," said Sameer Naik, the current women's coach. "We work on skills, fitness, mental conditioning and personality development, for months." The camps are mixed-gender and multi-level. "U16 boys, U19 women, Ranji players, senior women - all train together," Naik said. "The idea was to not differentiate. When these girls practice alongside players like Rajat Patidar (skipper of MP Ranji team and RCB) or Venkatesh Iyer, it automatically raises their standard." The camp has been a major learning point, Anushka said. "You don't just practice with your teammates. Training with international and domestic stars makes a difference as the effort they put in pushes you." The exposure is transformative, says 'keeper Rahila. "Nervousness comes only when you enter the ground and feel the atmosphere. Playing and training in those environments prepared us for that." For years, MP teams, despite being competitive, used to come up short in knockouts. The turning point came when the coaching staff confronted that psychological ceiling. "We used to reach the quarters and then get stuck," Naik recalled. "We asked, why? We work for five months, give everything. Why can't we cross that hurdle?" A mindset shift was needed. "Instead of fearing crunch moments, we decided to enjoy them," Naik said. The results followed quickly: U19 champions, U23 champions, senior teams breaking through to win titles and reach finals. MP are the Senior One Day Trophy holders and were runners-up in the Women's Senior T20 trophy. Rahila said: "Chandu sir and the coaches made us believe we belong at the highest level." Another pillar has been the state women's league (MPWL), run by the Gwalior association. With franchise women's leagues not common in India, MPWL's impact has been significant. "The league being telecast live made a big difference," Anushka said. "Crowds, noise, pressure - you feel like you're playing something important. You learn to handle interviews, presentations and attention. That exposure matters." Rohit Pandit added: "It's our duty to provide a back-end structure where scouts can see talent. That's how pipelines are built." Naik said: "We feel that we are doing the right thing, so we are trying to make it more challenging." MP is showing that when process and belief combine, results follow....