Chandigarh, Jan. 4 -- The past fortnight has been nothing short of transformative for young left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma, who made a memorable T20I debut in the India women's 5-0 series drubbing of Sri Lanka. Reporting to the preparatory camp excited to meet her idols - skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and vice-captain Smriti Mandhana - Vaishnavi could not have imagined how swiftly her dream would unfold. It was thus extra special as Harmanpreet handed the 20-year-old her India cap at Visakhapatnam. Thrown into the spotlight, the Madhya Pradesh bowler made an immediate impression. Bowling at a deceptive pace of around 80 kph, and often slower, Vaishnavi extracted sharp turn and was accurate, unsettling Sri Lanka's batters. While she took her first wicket in the second match, her control, trajectory and craft drew praise throughout the series. She took five wickets at an economy of 6.26. Former India spinner Nooshin Al Khadeer, who has closely tracked Vaishnavi's rise since the U19 Women's World Cup, praised her talent. "I have watched her progress closely - from domestic cricket to the U19 World Cup where she took a hat-trick and ended the leading wicket-taker. After that, she topped the charts again in the multi-day challenger and domestic T20s. So, I wasn't surprised by her India call-up," Al Khadeer, a two-time U-19 World Cup-winning head coach, said. "She is a very different left-arm spinner. She understands trajectory - how to bowl in the Powerplay, middle overs and at the death. Her lengths change with the phase of the game. If you are comparing her with up-and-coming left-arm spinners Parunika Sisodia, Sonam Yadav, Suchi Upadhya and Mannat Kashyap, each one is very different," she said. Vaishnavi's haul matched that of the team's leading spinner, Deepti Sharma. Surprisingly though, Vaishnavi though went unsold in the Women's Premier League auction despite a modest base price of Rs.10 lakh. "It was shocking that she went unsold. But in a way, her hard work was rewarded with an India cap," Al Khadeer said. The WPL starts on January 9 with Mumbai Indians facing Royal Challengers Bengaluru. India head coach Amol Muzumdar also lauded the youngster and the selectors' approach. "She responded really well to what we asked of her. Her U-19 exploits and domestic performances were rewarded. Credit to the selectors for backing domestic cricket," he said. India take on Australia in their next series to be played next month. With WPL taking the centre stage next, fans will have to wait to see Vaishnav in action again. Her next challenge could come on the upcoming tour of Australia, which will feature three T20Is, three ODIs and a one-off Test at the WACA. It is a stage that holds rich promise for the spinner....