She was initiated into learning the tabla at the tender age of 10 and has, since then, religiously maintained riyaz. She has been sponsored by the Central government Fellowship for Cultural Resources and Training, New Delhi, for higher education in playing the tabla.

Recently she won the first prize in a competition in honour of Tal Samrat Pandit Kanthe Maharaj in Aurangabad. She also won the first prize in the `Kalyani' competition organised in 1997 by B J Medical College, Pune. The most distinctive quality in her tabla playing is the soft and intense laya i.e. rhythm, which is enthralling.

Sayali plays the tabla in the Lucknow-Delhi Farukhabad gharana style and works hard along with her guru to create magic. It is amazing to observe such a slender girl take up a musical instrument like the tabla, predominantly associated with male performers. Sayali is now busy completing her education in instrumentation technology at Cummins Engineering College, Pune. She has received accolades from numerous institutes and music concert competitions, including the National Centre for the Performing Arts. She holds the first rank in the All-India Radio music competition.

The combination of intelligence and intense passion make Kumari Sayali Dawalbhakta an extraordinary artist. She plays the Peshkara, Kayade, Relyani, Gat-Tukada, Gat-Pharandi and Gat-Parana effortlessly and ensures that her compositions and presentations enchant the gathering from the start.