Danni Wyatt’s love for India is not unknown. For the uninitiated, she has been vocal about her love for Virat Kohli, Indian food and the conditions, her experiences plying her trade in the now defunct Women’s T20 Challenge, and most importantly, her admiration for the men’s IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Her non-selection in the Women’s Premier League, in her words, was ‘heartbreaking’ not just for her but for her fans as well, who were looking forward to seeing her play the WPL.
With the WPL auction coinciding with the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, a lot of members from the England team were picked, but going unsold must have certainly disappointed her, as visible in her emotional social media post. Currently ranked 16th in the ICC Women’s T20I rankings, she has not been her best in recent times, with good knocks coming and going in phases.
Dreamt of playing in the WPL. Heartbroken 💔 Congrats to all who got picked up. India is a wonderful place to play cricket
— Danielle Wyatt (@Danni_Wyatt) February 14, 2023
In England’s next match in the group stages versus India, Danni Wyatt will certainly want to make a statement and seek redemption. This would certainly silence all her naysayers, detractors, and critics who often question her place in the team.
Having played against India in 18 fixtures, she has scored 365 runs at an underwhelming average of 26.07. She would certainly want to reverse these stats and present her best version as she boasts of a lot of experience and expertise, but only inconsistency has stalled her from greatness.
With the notions of her being a top-flight cricketer and a match-winner, this snub could not have come at a better time. She will look to salvage not just her place in the team but also make a statement to the franchises to consider her for this edition should a last-minute replacement be needed or give feelers for the next edition to the talent scouts and the franchise management.
I am a first year postgraduate student pursuing a MA in Media and Communication Studies at Christ University, Bengaluru. I am a podcaster, blogger and an avid cricket fan. When not glued to cricket matches, you can find me submerged in books and thinking about cricket all the time.
