Often called ‘Shikhipedia’ by her teammates, Shikha Pandey is an in-and-out cricket geek. Apart from being an international-level cricketer, Shikha Pandey is also an Indian Air Force officer, holding the rank of squadron leader.
Shikha was picked up to play for Goa at the age of 15; however, she made her debut after a couple of seasons. Her talent was visible from a very young age, but she decided to focus on her studies. She went on to complete her Electronics and Electrical Engineering in 2010 and joined the Indian Air Force in a year.
Consistent performances at the domestic level saw her get picked for the Indian team. She made her debut in 2014 in all three formats, becoming only the second player from Goa to play for the country. She played a crucial role with the bat and the ball in a historic Test win for India against England in Wormsley.
With time, she became a regular member of the Indian side and was often credited as Jhulan Goswami’s bowling partner. She was an integral member of India’s campaigns at the 2017 ODI World Cup and T20 World Cup, where the team managed to make it to the final.
She was left out of the India squad for some time but made a resounding comeback in the early part of 2023 when she was called up for the T20 World Cup. She joined the Capitals Universe with the hope of lighting up the Women’s Premier League with her bowling skills, and she is living up to the expectations.