In the ongoing Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2024, Gujarat Giants dealt a significant blow as Harleen Deol has been ruled out of the remainder of the WPL due to a knee injury. Deol picked up the injury while fielding during the match against UP Warriorz and since has been benched. The team has brought in Bharati Fulmali as a replacement player.
Representing Vidarbha in domestic games, she has featured in the Senior Women’s One Day and T20 tournaments, while also taking the field for the Central Zone in the Senior Women Inter Zonal competitions. Time and again, she has stepped up with the bat for her team but hasn’t been consistent, especially lately.
Bharati earned her spot for the Trailblazers in the Women’s T20 Challenge, where she only played a game, but had the opportunity to share the dressing room with some of the game’s finest players. Her dedication and hard work paid off when she made her debut for India in the Women’s Twenty20 International (WT20I) against England on March 7, 2019, scoring 23 runs from 2 games and since has had another opportunity at the international stage.
The Giants have faced a series of setbacks due to injuries this season, including pre-tournament blows to their pace department. Kashvee Gautam, the highest buy of WPL 2024 auction was among the players sidelined due to injury. Additionally, Australian pacer Lauren Cheatle had to withdraw from the tournament due to a medical procedure, leading to the inclusion of Lea Tahuhu and Sayali Sathgare in the squad.
Harleen’s absence adds to the injury concerns for Gujarat Giants, with vice-captain Sneh Rana also missing games due to an undisclosed illness. However, there is positive news regarding Rana’s recovery, as she is expected to be available for selection in the team’s upcoming fixture against Mumbai Indians.
Despite these challenges, the Giants managed to secure their first victory in the tournament against Royal Challengers Bangalore in their most recent game. Led by Beth Mooney and Laura Wolvaardt, they posted a formidable total of 199 runs on the scoreboard and sealed a convincing 19-run win.
While the victory has boosted their morale, the Giants remain at the bottom of the points table, having lost all 4 games played in the tournament’s first leg in Bangalore.