Saika Ishaque

International career

Saika Ishaque, born on October 8, 1995, is an Indian cricketer who plays for Bengal and Mumbai Indians. She is a slow left-arm orthodox bowler and a left-handed batter. Saika has gained recognition for her performances in domestic cricket and is now an important player on the international stage. Her skills and hard work have helped her progress in the cricket world, and she continues to represent her teams with pride.

• WODI
  • Only match: IND Women vs AUS Women at Wankhede - December 28, 2023
    
    
• WT20I
  • Debut: ENG Women vs IND Women at Wankhede - December 06, 2023
  • Last match: ENG Women vs IND Women at Wankhede - December 10, 2023

In December 2023, Ishaque received her first international call-up for India when she was selected for the series against England and Australia. She made her T20I debut on December 6, 2023, in a match against England. Later in December 2023, she was also part of India’s ODI and T20I squads for the series against Australia. In May 2024, Ishaque was included in India's Test squad for the series against South Africa.

Leagues Participation

Saika Ishaque has played in the Women's Premier League (WPL), which features top female cricketers.

Women's Premier League

Saika Ishaque played her first match in the Women's Premier League (WPL) on March 6, 2023, for Mumbai Indians against Royal Challengers Bangalore. In her first season, she took 9 wickets in 8 matches with an economy rate of 5.80. Mumbai Indians won the WPL 2023 title on March 26, defeating Delhi Capitals by seven wickets in the final. Ishaque finished as the joint second-highest wicket-taker with 15 wickets. She was bought for INR 10 Lakh and impressed with her performances. In March 2024, she took 15 wickets in 10 matches, averaging 16.26. She helped Mumbai Indians win the 14th match against UP Warriors by taking 3 wickets. In February 2025, she was announced for the WPL 2025 season.

Year	Team	Notes
2023	Mumbai Indians	Debut season, 9 wickets in 8 matches, WPL 2023 champion. Played a key role in the final win.
2024	Mumbai Indians	15 wickets in 10 matches, average of 16.26. Took 3 wickets in the 14th match, helping Mumbai win.
2025	Mumbai Indians	Announced for WPL 2025 season.

Domestic career

Saika Ishaque has played for Bengal since 2013. She has been part of the team in various domestic competitions. In October 2022, she represented Bengal in the Women's Senior T20 Trophy. She also played for India A in the Women's T20 Challenger Trophy later that year. In 2022, she was part of the Trailblazers team in the Women's T20 Challenge.

In February 2023, Mumbai Indians bought her for INR 10 lakh in the first Women's Premier League auction. In her first season with Mumbai, she was one of the top performers, taking 9 wickets in 8 matches at an economy rate of 5.80. She helped Mumbai win the first WPL title.

In December 2024, Ishaque was set to lead Bengal in the Senior Women's One-Day Trophy. At the end of the 2024 season, she took 13 wickets in 8 matches with an economy rate of 3.61, becoming the best bowler for Bengal.

Records and achievements

Saika Ishaque has had a successful cricket career, gaining recognition for her excellent performances in domestic tournaments and the Women’s Premier League.

• Under-23 One-Day Tournament Winner (Year: 201X)
• Best Bowler for Bengal in Senior Women’s T20 Tournament (Year: 201X)
• WPL 2023: Took 9 wickets in 8 matches at an economy rate of 5.80
• WPL 2023: Finished second for the most wickets in the tournament
• WPL 2023: Helped Mumbai Indians win the title, taking 24 wickets in 19 matches
• One Day Trophy Women’s Senior Tournament: Scored the match-winning shot from 8 balls in the quarterfinals

Personal life

Saika Ishaque has had a challenging yet inspiring journey in cricket. Despite facing personal and professional struggles, she continues to succeed in the sport. Here's a look at her personal life.

Family

Ishaque grew up in a slum in Kolkata. Her father, who passed away when she was 12, inspired her to pursue cricket. She dedicated her performance in the Women's T20 Challenge to him.

Finance

As of 2024, Ishaque's net worth is estimated at over $1 million. This comes from her work in domestic and international cricket.

Cars

Saika enjoys riding motorcycles.

Scandals

Ishaque faced a shoulder injury in 2018 that kept her out of the Bengal women's team for almost three years. She also dealt with financial difficulties due to the high cost of playing cricket full-time and limited earning opportunities for female cricketers in India. These struggles made her consider retiring. After the injury, she also struggled with accuracy and rhythm, which led to her exclusion from the state team. In 2021, she went almost three years without playing for Bengal, unsure of what to do next.

Fans

In 2023, Ishaque's performance in a WPL match between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals earned praise from fans. She allowed just 13 runs in three overs and took three important wickets: Shafali Verma, Jemima Rodriguez, and Meg Lanning. Fans shared their admiration for her on social media. She has gained a following of 27k on Instagram.