The highly anticipated, inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) began in early March and in the lead-up to the tournament, the Gujarat Giants, a team backed by Gautam Adani, found themselves caught off guard by the sudden exclusion of West Indies veteran Deandra Dottin from their squad.
The 31-year-old all-rounder was signed by Gujarat Giants for INR 60 Lakhs and days before the start of the tournament, she was excluded from the squad on medical grounds. The news of the power-pack cricketer’s absence spread like wildfire and fans poured in their well-wishes for Deandra Dottin from her reported ongoing injury.
It wasn’t long before Dottin quashed all media reports by stating, “Get well soon from what if I may ask?,” on her Instagram. She also put out a Tweet, quoting, “I really appreciate all the messages but truth be told I’m recovering from nothing but the Holy Ghost anointing thank you #GodIsGood #GodIsInControl.”
In light of ongoing speculation surrounding my exclusion from this year’s Women’s Premier League (WPL), please find attached, a brief statement from me that addresses and clarifies the events that led to my omission from the inaugural WPL tournament earlier this month. pic.twitter.com/SmiSnkMlrZ
— Deandra Dottin (@Dottin_5) March 19, 2023
The Gujarat Giants then put out an official release that read, “Deandra is a world-class player and a wonderful signing for the franchise. Unfortunately, we were unable to obtain a medical clearance before the defined deadline for this season, such clearances are a requirement of all players participating in the WPL.”
The tournament got underway, and the matter made its way to a cold case, but that was only the case until Deandra Dottin had not launched a series of fresh salvos against the franchise. Early on the 20th of March, Dottin in a statement disclosed her side of the story and termed the reason behind her exit from the team, a bewildering one.
Deandra Dottin’s statement clarified that she experienced minor abdominal pain and swelling for which she had sought treatment in December 2022 and that following testing and investigations by the specialists, she was asked to rest until February 13th and was cleared to resume fitness and playing activity from February 14th.
#GiantArmy, 𝐊𝐞𝐦 𝐂𝐡𝐨❔😉
Deandra Dottin has a special message for you! 🥰🗣️#WPL #WPLAuction @Dottin_5 pic.twitter.com/nfgAxP7Umr
— Gujarat Giants (@GujaratGiants) February 13, 2023
Dottin also stated, “I was transparent about this in correspondence with the Gujarat Giants physiotherapist, however, this was misconstrued and later conveyed to members of the franchise’s management team as me experiencing abdominal pain post-session which was not what I had indicated.”
Deandra Dottin in her statement alleged that other players were not asked to submit medical clearance to participate in the league, while she was to submit. She further stated, despite clearances from multiple surgeons, she was asked to repeat her tests and produce medical clearances within tight deadlines.
Gujarat Giants didn’t have the best of seasons in the inaugural edition of the WPL as the side finishes seeded 5th at the bottom of the points table with only a couple of wins to their name off 8 games. Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, and UP Warriorz have emerged as the 3 teams who’ve advanced to the qualifiers of the ongoing, inaugural edition of the WPL.
