Extraordinary journey of Lisa Sthalekar (@lsthalekar/Instagram)

The world knows Lisa Sthalekar as one of the finest all-rounders in women’s cricket. But only few are aware of her initial journey which began not in Australia but in an orphanage of Pune, India. Few cricket journeys have travelled as far as that of Lisa Sthalekar who was born in Pune, Maharashtra. At just three weeks, her parents left her in an orphanage. But fate has something else in store for her. She was adopted as a baby by an Australian couple and eventually grew up in Australia, and went on to become a champion of women’s cricket.The International Cricket Council (ICC) describes her journey from a Pune orphanage to captaining Australia as “nothing short of remarkable”. She later became the first woman to achieve the landmark of 1,000 ODI runs and 100 ODI wickets.A look at her journey:A baby named LailaSthalekar was born on August 13, 1979, and her birth name was Laila. Her biological parents left her at Shreevatsa, an orphanage associated with Sassoon Hospital in Pune. As per reports, they were unable to support the newborn financially so they took the decision.Adoption

Baby Lisa Sthalekar (@lsthalekar/Instagram)

The baby’s life changed when Haren and Sue Sthalekar came to India all the way from Australia to adopt. The couple then used to live in the United States. They already had a daughter and were hoping to adopt a boy. But their plans changed when they saw baby Laila at the orphanage. Sue was naturally drawn to the little girl. And the couple decided to adopt her.Laila became LisaAt just three weeks old, Laila left India and her new family named her Lisa Sthalekar. Later, the family settled in Sydney, Australia. And that was where an extraordinary cricket story quietly began.Her father introduced her to cricket

Lisa Sthalekar with WC (@lsthalekar)

Lisa's childhood grew up surrounded by a family that encouraged her interests. Her father introduced her to cricket. And their backyard became the practice ground for her. Interestingly, Lisa did not initially know that women played cricket. Her early cricketing experiences involved playing with boys. Then her father took her to watch a women's Test match between Australia and England at North Sydney Oval where she was introduced to women cricket.Later, she joined the Gordon club on Sydney's North Shore and played with boys before moving into women's cricket. The girl who had arrived in Australia as an adopted infant from India was now beginning to find her identity on a cricket field.Journey to Australian teamSthalekar’s international debut came in 2001. Over the next 12 years, she established herself as a dependable right-handed batter and left-arm spin bowler. She went on to become one of Australia's most accomplished women's cricketers.Remarkable cricket career

Lisa Sthalekar (Instagram)

Sthalekar played 125 ODIs, eight Tests and 54 T20Is for Australia. Across international cricket, she made 3,913 runs and 229 wickets. She was also part of four World Cup-winning campaigns, two in ODIs and two in T20 cricket.When the ICC introduced its women's rankings in 2008, she was the world's No. 1 all-rounder.And she created history by becoming the first woman cricketer to score 1,000 runs and take 100 wickets in ODIs.A captain, a champion and a history-makerIn 2006, she captained Australia in three ODIs against New Zealand. Her international career included Ashes campaigns and multiple World Cup triumphs, making her one of the defining figures of Australian women's cricket.Then came the perfect ending to her playing careerAt the 2013 Women's World Cup final, Sthalekar produced a decisive moment with the ball and in the field as Australia defeated the West Indies to win the title. The ICC notes that she ended her international career with a spectacular catch that helped Australia secure the World Cup.She retired from international cricket that year. But her story is bigger than cricket. It is a perfect example of destiny, hard work and faith. It is also about how a person's beginnings do not have to determine their destination. Born as Laila at Pune to Lisa, the ICC Hall of Famer, her life is a remarkable journey across continents.