Batra credits her mother and coach Sandeep Gupta as the most influential people in her career. She initially trained under Gupta from the age of eight but later transitioned to other coaches, including Sanmay Paranjape, Chris Pfeiffer, and currently Aman Balgu. This change came after she dropped to 76th in the world rankings in 2019.

Achievements and Awards

Batra has an impressive list of accolades. In 2020, she received the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, India's highest sporting honour. She also won the Arjuna Award for Outstanding Performance in Sports and Games in 2018. That same year, she was named Table Tennis Player of the Year at the Times of India Sports Award ceremony.

She made history by becoming the first female Indian table tennis player to win a medal at the Asian Games, securing bronze in mixed doubles with Sharath Achanta in 2018. Additionally, she won gold in women's singles at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and was part of the first Indian team to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal in the women's team event.

Playing Style and Techniques

Batra is known for using long pimpled rubber on her backhand side and normal rubber on her forehand side. This unique setup allows her to counter top spins effectively. She believes this technique has significantly improved her game.

Personal Life and Interests

Apart from table tennis, Batra enjoys dancing, photography, watching movies, cricket, and tennis. She speaks both English and Hindi fluently and holds a degree in Humanities from the University of Delhi.

Philosophy and Rituals

Batra's sporting philosophy is centred around representing India and achieving success for her country. She often paints her nails in the colours of the Indian flag and watches videos of footballer Cristiano Ronaldo for motivation. "I love Ronaldo and I watch his videos to gain motivation," she says.

Challenges and Legal Battles

In 2021, Batra alleged that then Indian national coach Soumyadeep Roy asked her to throw an Olympic qualifying match. This led to a legal battle where she filed a petition against the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) for non-transparent selection processes. The Delhi High Court suspended TTFI's executive committee in February 2022 and appointed an administrator to run the federation.

Future Ambitions

Looking ahead, Batra aims to finish on the podium at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Her journey continues to inspire many young athletes across India.

Batra's dedication to table tennis and her country remains unwavering as she strives for more milestones in her career.