India a massive threat across formats now, says Aussie women’s team leggie Alana King | Cricket News
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NAVI MUMBAI: There are quite a few reasons for Alana King to fall in love with India. The Australian leg-spinner has Indian roots; her parents, Leroy and Sharon, are Anglo-Indians who migrated to Melbourne from Chennai in the 1980s. On October 25, 2025 during a Women’s ODI World Cup match in Indore, King delivered a stunning seven-over spell, taking seven for 18 to spin out South Africa for merely 97. These are the best figures in the history of the Women’s World Cup. Having gone unsold in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) auction in November, King found a way to play in the lucrative tournament, set to kick off from Jan 9, as the Delhi Capitals picked her up as a replacement for all-rounder Annabel Sutherland, who withdrew due to personal reasons.In an exclusive interview with TOI, King shared her thoughts on her Indian connection, playing under her DC captain Jemimah Rodrigues, who caused Australia’s stunning defeat to India in the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup semis, and on many other things… Excerpts…You trace your roots to Chennai — a city which your parents hail from. Do you speak Tamil at home? Do you relish South Indian cuisine? Have you been to, or do you plan to go to Chennai at some point in life?I don’t speak Tamil, unfortunately. My parents never taught my brother and me because we grew up in Australia and they didn’t think we needed to learn it. But growing up in an Indian household, Indian food was always around, and my dad’s cooking was incredible. I’m very well equipped with Indian food and I absolutely love it — the spice is in my blood. I’ve surprised a few of the girls here because I eat everything and don’t find it spicy at all, and then they automatically think I can speak the language, which I can’t. I’d love to learn a few phrases while I’m here. I haven’t been to Chennai in quite a few years, but I’d love to go back. Cricket brings me to India quite often and hopefully it takes me there again. There’s a multi-format series against India coming up (next year), and if there’s a game in Chennai, that would be really special.You’ve joined Delhi Capitals as a replacement player this season. How did the call come through and what was your first reaction when you heard it was DC?It was very exciting. I got the call on Boxing Day night, and I was actually at the Australia–England Test match. My manager rang me and said I was going to India and needed to get back to Perth. I was meant to be with my family for Christmas, and two days later I was on a flight. It was hectic and a bit chaotic getting everything sorted, but I’m very grateful for the opportunity. To be part of the DC family is really exciting, and I’m just happy to be here.”How good are DC’s chances of ending their trophy jinx and clinching their maiden WPL title this time?I hope it’s fourth time lucky (for DC). With every tournament, everyone starts on zero. It’s a new year, there are some fresh faces in the team including myself, and there’s a new captain in Jemimah (Rodrigues). There’s been a little bit of change, and sometimes change is a good thing because it can refresh the group. This team is hungry, excited to start the season, and ready to hit the ground running.You have played one WPL match for UP Warriorz last year. As someone who regularly plays in the Women’s Big Bash League, how excited are you about returning to the WPL?It’s something a lot of cricketers want to be part of. To get another opportunity to play in the WPL and to do it with DC is something I’m incredibly grateful for. There’s a great group of support staff and some excellent players. I get to play with internationals I haven’t played with before and also learn from the Indian players in their home conditions. I’m excited to be here and get started.How has the pre-season camp been so far in Goa, and we’re seeing a lot of fun content coming out of the DC camp—how’s the team atmosphere been?It’s been great. There’s a lot of fun in this team, and the support staff brings a lot of energy. The content team is also a lot of fun, and when the environment is like that, it gives you an extra pep in your step. The girls have been fantastic. I’m still learning everyone’s names, especially the domestic players, but it’s been a really welcoming group. I’m excited to work under Jonathan Batty (DC head coach) and enjoy being part of this setup.You will be playing for Delhi Capitals under Jemimah Rodrigues, who slammed that match-winning century against Australia. What would you say about that?She’s been a great player for a long time, and to do that on the biggest stage is something she and her country should be incredibly proud of. It’s nice to finally be on Jemimah’s team instead of being on the receiving end. We’ve played a lot against each other, including Shafali (Verma) as well, so to be on the same side and collaborate together is really refreshing.Does the World Cup semifinal defeat to India at the DY Patil Stadium still rankle?It was very disappointing as a group. Losing a semifinal always hurts, especially in a World Cup. One game doesn’t define a team, but those games are hard to take. Credit to India—they outplayed us in a really important match and deserved to go on to win the World Cup.Will Australia bounce back from that semifinal defeat?This team always reflects and reviews big tournaments, whether we win or lose. We haven’t come together as a group yet because we went straight into the WBBL, but when we do, we’ll look at what we can do better. We can’t dwell on what’s happened. We learn from it, take those learnings forward and focus on what’s ahead.Is Australia looking to avenge its World Cup semifinal defeat to India when Harmanpreet Kaur & Co tour Australia in Feb-March for a multi-format series?We’ll be playing the world champions, so it’s going to be a massive challenge. India are a huge threat across all formats. It’s an exciting series and one we’re really looking forward to.As a women’s cricketer, what does India’s maiden World Cup triumph mean for the women’s game?It’s massive. For India to win a World Cup will do a world of good for the women’s game, not just in India but around the world. Moments like that inspire young girls and help grow the game globally.Who is the best batter that you have ever bowled to?It’s hard to narrow it down to just one. In recent times, Smriti Mandhana and Nat Sciver-Brunt have probably been the hardest batters to bowl to.During the 2025 ODI Women’s World Cup, you took a historic seven-wicket haul (7/18) against South Africa. Is that the best you have ever bowled?It was pretty special to do it in a World Cup. Everything happened really quickly and I didn’t take it in at the time. I don’t look too much at personal accolades, but it’s something I’m very proud of. To do it on that stage, with my family there, and to put the team in a strong position made it a really special moment.Was Australian leg-spin legend Shane Warne your inspiration while growing up?Absolutely. Watching Warne at the MCG was the reason I picked up leg-spin. He made it fun and exciting. Once I understood leg-spin, I stuck with it. I learned a lot from him, especially later through his commentary, and he had a huge influence on my journey.”
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