The cricketing world is abuzz as the third edition of Women’s Premier League (WPL) gets underway on February 15 as the defending Champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru face-off against Gujarat Giants in the first match at Vadodara International Cricket Stadium.
The Challengers title win last season could be largely credited to the impressive performances of players like Ellyse Perry, Shreyanka Patil, Sophie Molinuex, Smriti Mandhana and Asha Sobhana.
However, their road to retaining the trophy is fraught with challenges as multiple injuries and back-outs have forced them to make several replacements.
One of their prime bowlers, Sophie Molinuex has been ruled out due to a knee injury. New Zealand stalwart, Sophie Devine opted out due to personal reasons. Kate Cross, too, has withdrawn from the tournament and leg-spinner Asha Sobhana is also unavailable due to an injury.
Charlie Dean, Heather Graham, Kim Garth and Nuzhat Parween have come in as replacements. Additionally, last year’s purple cap winner, Shreyanka Patil’s inclusion in this edition is subject to her fitness and notably didn’t feature in the season opener. Minutes out from the game, she posted on social media, “Heartbroken, but I will fly.”
In an interesting development, Sneh Rana, who went unsold in the auction has most likely been roped in as a net bowler by RCB. She has previously represented Gujarat in the WPL, claiming six wickets and scoring 47 runs across eleven innings. She even led Gujarat in the inaugural WPL season.
In a picture posted by Gujarat Giants, their player Harleen Deol was spotted alongside RCB players, including Sneh who was seen donning RCB’s training kit. This sparked speculation about her potential inclusion in the team, replacing injured Shreyanka Patil. However, nothing has been confirmed by the team as of yet.
As RCB navigates these challenges, it will be interesting to see how they strategize with a few replacements and an altered team balance. Their opponents, Gujarat Giants, led by Ashleigh Gardner will undoubtedly pose a stiff challenge in the season opener.
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