Cricket, Leadership, and Mentorship: The Inspiring Journey of Sindhu Sriharsha

Cricket has been in Sindhu’s blood since she was just a child growing up in India—a country where an estimated 1.2 billion play the sport. Anything in her hand became a makeshift version of a bat as she played on the streets of Bangalore with her brother and friends—and her passion for the sport blossomed. When she was 9—with the help of a neighbor who played professionally—she began formal training and hit the ground running. 

Sindhu rose through the ranks with various state and zonal teams, ultimately working her way up to making the roster of India’s U-21 team at just 17 years old. As passion turned to an eye toward playing professionally full-time, her initial dreams were dashed when she was part of the final round of cuts for India’s World Cup team in 2011. Though her love for cricket had never wavered, the emotional toll from investing so much time and energy into playing for national team won out, and she hung up her jersey at 21 years old. 

Sindhu put cricket to the side and moved to the United States in 2013, where she married her husband while continuing her work at JP Morgan. It was around that time that Sindhu—in a new country with no friends or family around—looked for a social outlet and found it: with cricket. 

The low-stakes, social games that she began playing on weekends were exactly what she needed. The games were less about trophies and roster spots and more about building relationships and having fun. “I found the fun part that I was missing toward the end of my career in India. The reason I picked up the bat at 9, 10 years old, I rediscovered that when I came to the U.S.” 

Finding her love and passion for the sport over the next three years coincided with Team USA’s return to professional cricket. When that team was reinstituted by the International Cricket Council, it was looking for a fresh roster—and had the perfect choice in mind for team captain. 

The captain’s cap that Sindhu had always wanted was finally hers, a role she has now held since 2017. As the senior stateswoman of the team, Sindhu has embraced the role of mentor when she’s not up to bat. With cricket set to the return to the Summer Olympics in 2028, there’s a chance she and her team could gain entrance as a host country participant in Los Angeles. 

Her role as mentor transcends her own team. Sindhu also co-founded Aspire Cricket, a non-profit foundation that makes cricket more affordable and accessible across the country. When she’s not hitting sixes (cricket’s version of a home run) on the field, she’s dedicating her time and energy to expanding the sport. 

She’s also found a home at West Monroe, which has been supportive in Sindhu’s journey as captain of Team USA. “They’ve never questioned, ‘Why?’ They ask, ‘How can we help you?”

Sindhu is a manager in West Monroe’s Technology & Experience practice with more than seven years of experience in the Salesforce ecosystem. She manages and leads Salesforce implementations and strategic programs, with her day-to-day activities varying depending on the project phase. She has a strong emphasis on maintaining and enhancing client relationships, and a significant part of her role involves leading a diverse team—including industry experts, functional, and technical resources, to ensure the successful delivery of project outcomes.