The UP Warriorz got the better of defending champions Royal Challengers in their final game in season three of the Women’s Premier League, winning the game by a margin of 12 runs, as Australia’s Georgia Voll scored an unbeaten 99, off 56 deliveries to help her team post the highest total in the history of the competition.
Though the hosts were out of the playoffs race in competition, the team forged an outstanding team-effort, ending the campaign on a high-note. Despite falling short in their chase, Royal Challengers put up a spirited fight, showcasing resilience and determination. The victory marked a memorable finish for UP Warriorz, leaving their supporters with plenty to cheer about as the season concluded.
Skipper Deepti Shama took the responsibility and acknowledged the questions of the media.
The pressure mounted as RCB looked in pursuit to chase down a historic total. But the captain believed that there was no tension in the dressing room. “There wasn’t much pressure as I know (Georgia) Voll had delivered with the ball in crucial moments – she had done the job in the Big Bash league and wanted to hand over the ball to someone who could defend the runs in the last over.”
As Alyssa Healy opted out of the tournament on account of injury, Deepti Sharma was handed the leadership duty in season three of the Women’s Premier League. Sharma came under the radar during the course of the season and spoke about how she felt on leading the team for the first time. “I have enjoyed leading the side. It is entirely different to play as a player and captain in franchise cricket. There were quite a lot of positives which we would like to take forward in the tournament. There were two youngsters, namely, Chinelle Henry and Kranti Goud – and it feels nice to see the young bunch stepping up and performing.”
Deepti Sharma said that they wanted to end the campaign on a high note, and luckily, they got good crowd support in Lucknow. She mentioned that her message to the team was just to enjoy, and although they did not get a good start to the competition, they aimed to make a decent end to the season. She added that they had learned a lot from the game as the participants clicked together as a team. The members showed character across all departments, and they were happy with the team’s performance.
On UP’s batting order choice, where the team management has shuffled across various options during the course of the tournament, the skipper said, “When the team wins, everything looks fine and good. Everyone stepped up and clicked in the team. The middle-order took the responsibility in today’s game.”
The Warriors emerged victorious on three occasions and lost 5 matches with a net-run-rate of -0.624. On being questioned about the turning point in the campaign, the 27-year-old said, “Can’t point anything to be turning point. We performed as a team. We posted the highest score in today’s game, did positive stuff. I want to credit everyone for today’s victory. If we didn’t post a big total, it would’ve been a little difficult for our bowlers in the second innings with the dew coming in. The extra runs were a cushion for our bowlers. Compact performance by the entire group.”
Power hitter Richa Ghosh looked in complete control to take her team home with a sensational 33-ball 69, which comprised 6 boundaries and 5 sixes. On the possible matchups and strategies prepared to stop the onslaught, the captain said, “We’ve played a lot together for years when we used to play for Bengal earlier at the state level and also for the Indian team. So, we know each other’s strengths and weak points. I backed my strength and bowled according to the field plans and the result followed.”
On her team’s fielding, “We need to field better as a team. We have done better game after game. But things can go here and there sometimes and when there’s dew, there is a chance of the ball slipping out of the hands. We have improved as compared to the last two seasons and will do much better in the next upcoming season.”
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