In a significant setback for the Gujarat Giants in the Women’s Premier League 2024, key player Harleen Deol was ruled out due to a knee injury.
The injury occurred during the early stages of the tournament while fielding during the third group-stage match against UP Warriorz in Bengaluru. Positioned at sweeper cover, she made a valiant attempt to intercept a ball in the first over of Warriorz’s innings, only to clutch her left knee in pain. Following the incident, she was forced to limp off the field and has been absent from action since then. Bharati Fulmali was brought in as a replacement player following Deol’s injury.
Deol’s performance in WPL 2024 had been underwhelming. Batting at various positions in the batting order, she struggled to make significant contributions with the bat. In the season opener, batting at no. 3, she managed just 8 runs. Shifting to the opening slot in the second game, she scored 22 off 31 balls, followed by 18 off 24 deliveries batting at no. 3 in the match against Warriorz.
On 15th March, Harleen Deol took to her social media to update her fans about her successful knee surgery. She expressed her determination to embark on the road to recovery and expressed hope of returning to the field soon.
Gujarat Giants endured a tough season in WPL 2024, suffering defeats in six out of eight matches. However, amidst the challenges, Beth Mooney emerged as a standout performer for the team, accumulating 285 runs in eight innings with an impressive average of 47.50 and a strike rate of 141.08. On the bowling front, Tanuja Kanwar led the attack for Gujarat Giants, claiming 10 wickets in eight innings at an average of 20.7 and an economy rate of 7.13.
Despite the setbacks and challenges faced by the Gujarat Giants, the team and fans will be hoping for a speedy recovery for Harleen Deol and a better showing in future editions of the Women’s Premier League.