Chandigarh, Jan. 23 -- For Chandigarh cricketer Kashvee Gautam, the past nine months have swung between soaring highs and crushing lows - an emotional ride that tested her talent, temperament and tenacity. The 22-year-old medium-pacer was on the brink of a breakthrough when she made her India debut during the tri-series in Sri Lanka, part of the preparation for last year's ODI World Cup. What began as the most thrilling phase of her young career though unravelled. A knee injury in the middle of the tournament forced her out of the series, leaving her World Cup dream shattered. "When the (scan) result came and I was told to report to the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) and my heart sank. Missing the World Cup after waiting and working so hard for that moment, was crushing," Gautam recalls. "I had already fought back from a foot fracture earlier. But my family, coach and our wellness coach kept my spirit alive. They pushed me to believe I could come back strong." Six months of rehabilitation followed - a period of feeding hope, fighting doubt, and starting from scratch. India went on to win the World Cup at home, a moment Gautam celebrated from afar with mixed emotions. Last week, her perseverance was rewarded when she earned a call-up to the India ODI squad for the Australia tour, a moment she describes as relief, validation and renewed joy. Gautam's journey has been built on grit. She became the most expensive uncapped player in WPL history when Gujarat Giants bought her for Rs.2 crore in 2023. GG backed her again in the last auction, picking her for Rs.65 lakh though she had missed the previous season due to a foot injury. "Hitting the ground again after six months was not easy," says the Chandigarh player. "I had just two weeks to prepare before the WPL auction. I was worried whether I'd be able to bowl at my best, whether teams still had faith in me. Getting picked by GG again gave me so much confidence." Her return began quietly as she captained UTCA's U-23 women's team in a domestic T20 tournament. Kranti Gaud, who replaced her in the squad for the tri-series, excelled at the World Cup. "I was genuinely happy to see India lift the trophy. I couldn't be part of it, but I believe my time will come," she says. The Hardik Pandya fan found motivation during recovery when she met the allrounder at the CoE. "He told me to be grateful for the opportunities I had already got, to keep faith, and stay patient. And then he gifted me a bat - it meant the world." She also credits mental fitness trainer Sanjeevan Sandhu for helping her regain confidence. A trainee of coach Nagesh Gupta, who also mentors India allrounder Amanjot Kaur, Gautam burst onto the scene in 2020 by taking all 10 wickets against Arunachal Pradesh in a U-19 one-day match - the first Indian woman to achieve the feat. Now, she joins fellow seamers Renuka Thakur, Amanjot and Gaud for the Australia ODI series. "Playing in Australia will be huge. I love bowling with the new ball. I love bowling at the death. I just want to play fearless cricket." At GG, Gautam is surrounded by world-class performers - Sophie Devine, Beth Mooney, and Ashleigh Gardner. "Sophie has been incredible - her calmness, clarity," Gautam says. "I even asked Mooney and Gardner how they processed their World Cup semi-final loss to India. These insights help you grow mentally." India's Australia tour begins with three T20Is from February 15, followed by three ODIs from February 24, and a one-off Test in Perth from March 6-9. The Test squad will be named later. U-19 World Cup stars Vaishnavi Sharma and G Kamalini along with Gautam are the new additions to the squad that won the World Cup. In the T20I squad, India have made just two changes from the series against Sri Lanka, with spinner Shreyanka Patil and Bharati Fulmali coming in....