Almas Bhardwaj: Where Cricket Meets Fashion, and Dreams Take Flight

There is something refreshingly fearless about Almas Bhardwaj. A cricketer by passion and a leg-spinner by choice, she has spent years pushing herself beyond her comfort zone—whether it meant transforming her fitness, building her confidence on the field or, more recently, stepping in front of a professional camera for the first time. In this candid conversation, Almas opens up about her journey, the challenges that shaped her, her inspirations and why she believes in taking the leap rather than being afraid to fall.

Q: This was your first-ever professional photoshoot. What was going through your mind when you stepped in front of the camera?

Almas: This was something I always wanted to do since childhood, and I have followed many, many models. I always wondered if I’d ever be able to do so.

So, when finally it was happening, I was excited like crazy, and I wanted to give my 100%. So I was conscious and nervous, but it was a blast.

Q: You’re used to performing in front of crowds on a cricket field. How different did it feel posing in front of a camera?

Almas: Well, posing on camera is way different than being on the field. Because when we are on the field, we don’t think that cameras are around. Everything is natural.

But in front of a camera, you need to focus on it and it’s fully focused on you, then it hits different. So again, I was conscious. I wanted to be as good as I am on the field.

Q: Cricket demands discipline, confidence and focus. Did any of those qualities help you during the shoot?

Almas: Yes, cricket has taught me to do things which make me feel uncomfortable. It has always pushed my boundaries. Like on the field, whenever I’m low or maybe when I want the best of me, when I’m uncertain, I tell myself, “Come on Almas, you can do it. You got this.”

So it was the same whenever I was on a shoot. I was thinking about my thoughts and the person who was capturing me because, of course, you have worked with the best too. So I just wanted to deliver a good result.

Q: Who has been your biggest inspiration in cricket, and is there anyone in fashion or photography whose style you admire?

Almas: My biggest inspiration in cricket is Hardik Pandya. He is just on a whole different level. His mindset is amazing. 💥🔥

My favourite model… forever favourite Gigi Hadid, but there are a lot of them.

Q: How did you pick up leg-spin bowling?

Almas: Okay, well… I started off as a medium pacer, but as I have a short height, so for a good career I switched to being a spinner.

Leg-spinner because there are very few of them in cricket compared to off-spinners.

Q: What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your cricket journey so far, and how has it shaped you as a person?

Almas: My biggest challenge in cricket was having strength. As I’m very slim and have a very typical non-athletic body, when I joined, I moved like a sack in the field. Everything which was supposed to be easy was very tough. Being in a profession where you are constantly lacking really destroys your confidence. And when you are not confident, even breathing feels heavy. So I used to wake up at 3 a.m. and go for a road run or just go for a walk, which was followed by early gym sessions. Where people were working out alternate days, I was working out daily, that too twice. I mean, one workout which everyone used to do in the morning and then one in the evening, which was my personal hard work with field sessions. Yes, it was exhausting and I overworked myself in the process, but by the end of it all… the results were satisfying. Gradually, I started to hear people say, “Ki Almas is toh very quick.” Fitness is a piece of cake for her. Everything she does is natural when it comes to strength training or running. Well, it wasn’t. I knew because only I knew what it took me to be able to hear all this from others. So yes, this gave me so much confidence that even 10 years later, even if I’m not consistent, I know I can do it and beat them all. The work turned into self-belief. And then it started to naturally get applied to everything in daily life.

Q: What has been your most memorable match so far?

Almas: My most memorable match… We didn’t use to get qualified beyond quarter-finals, I mean at the state level. So once, the quarter-final was against a team against which we had a streak of back-to-back losses. But that match… wow! That team was winning one-sided… but somehow the match flipped and we won by the end of it. There weren’t just smiley faces after the match. We were all in tears because we knew that it was the harshest team, and we broke a decade-long history of our state with just one thing: team unity. At that point, nobody cared who is what and where. We were all just so, so engaged in pushing the person in charge in that moment and believing and working towards just one thought despite the situations. That day, even the non-batsman played shots, the non-bowler got wickets, the worst fielder took catches. So yeah, that was a memorable match for me, not because of my personal achievements, but because I feel that I’m lucky to be able to feel all of it and experience all of it.

Q: If a young girl dreams of becoming a cricketer but is afraid to take the first step, what would you tell her?

Almas: I would tell her to just jump instead of taking a first step without thinking about anything at all. We shouldn’t do everything after thinking about it. Sometimes working on our impulsiveness helps in life. I’ve learnt one thing in life. Because our parents wanted us to be safe and still achieve good things, they mapped a secure roadmap of our lives, and that somehow shaped our brains like that. But I believe that… success or achievements only lie in uncertainty and in being insecure. We, as human beings, have nothing to lose, especially little kids. So just dive in instead of thinking that you might fall… what if you fly? I want kids to believe in the “what ifs” of life, the good “what ifs.” It really helps.

Q: Away from cricket, what are some hobbies or interests that people would be surprised to know about?

Almas: I love to travel. I love to do fashion stuff. I do make reels also, and I know dance well too. I draw charcoal sketches too. And… well, practically I love to do everything which feels more than normal.

Q: After experiencing your first editorial photoshoot, would you like to do more fashion or lifestyle shoots in the future?

Almas: I would love to. I would absolutely love to do it more often because I would get to live my dream fantasy along with cricket. If that really happens, I’m gonna practise and give my all and stay committed to this also. I’ll be the luckiest.

Q: One cricketer from the men’s team that you would love to bowl to?

Almas: None. But I would love to watch them hit during sessions because all the men players are just on a different level, so bowling to them takes a lot of mid-ladders to climb. So instead, I would love to watch them play in their league, live, so that I can learn by observing their styles and how they do stuff. Like which ball they pick to play a big shot, which ball is in range for another thing like that.