The ACT Meteors have welcomed a new batter to the squad this year with the arrival of former New South Wales Breaker, Shivani Mehta.
Scoring her first full time contract was unexpected, and is a dream come true for Shivani.
She finished last season with a concussion and wasn’t looking too far into the future other than sorting out her own health. But then came the call every cricketer wants to receive.
“I got the call from my manager…I was in the gym…and I just could not believe it.”
Fast forward a few months and Shivani is adjusting to Canberra life, which she’s found a little cooler than Sydney.
“That's definitely been a struggle – I'm not used to the cold,” she laughed.
“The biggest trouble is driving to training early because my car has ice all over it and
I have to scrape it off in the mornings.
“I think the uniform's well equipped…you’ve just got to wear gloves and a beanie, and you’ll be fine.”
Apart from the temperature shock, Shivani is settling into her new home at the ACT Meteors.
“It's been the best experience ever to get to train full time and do the sport that I absolutely love full time and just to meet the team and everyone,” she said.
“Everyone's so nice and welcoming, that’s the biggest thing.
“I don't feel out of place, and everyone's just been so lovely to me; it's like one big, happy family.”
Our newest recruit can’t wait for the WNCL season to get underway. When asked what she brings to the Meteors Shivani laughs and said “I'm a bit of a pest on the field”.
“I love to chat. I love to chat up the batters and, you know, grill them hard and then hopefully have the skill to back it up when I have a go with the bat.”
When asked who she’s most looking forward to playing with, it was Olivia Porter who got the nod.
“Back home, we were known for the ‘Liv and Shiv show’, so we're going to bring that back,” she joked.
Shivani did debut with NSW a couple of seasons back, giving her a taste of the professional cricket life, it was an experience that made her realise just how much she wanted to pursue a career in cricket.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to play cricket full time as a professional athlete,” she said.
“So, to get a taste of that on my debut and play a couple games there (with the Breakers) and just that feeling of excitement and the joy playing the sport that we love – it's infectious and I want to do it forever.”
While its early into her first full-time contract, Shivani is aiming high.
“Sights are definitely on playing for Australia and playing at the top.
“I think this is one step closer to my dream and I’m just going to take it step-by-step and keep working on my goals and working on myself as a player and as a person, and hopefully I can get there.”
Hear more of Shivani’s welcome interview in the video below.