Vadodara, Jan 22 (IANS) Left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad said she was delighted to make an impact on her return to the Gujarat Giants side after being named Player of the Match in their 45-run win over UP Warriorz in the 2026 Women’s Premier League (WPL) at the BCA Stadium in Kotambi in Vadodara on Thursday.
The win also meant that GG jumped from bottom to second place in the points table. “It feels really good. I got a chance to play after a long time, and today I did well too, so I’m very happy. I had been waiting for this spell for a long time, so it feels great. Nothing was different. I just bowled to my strengths today.
“When your support staff backs you, it gives you a lot of confidence – that’s exactly what I did today. They showed a lot of support for me, and that became my biggest strength today. It was much better, and the wicket was also helping, so I bowled accordingly today and was successful,” said Rajeshwari at the conclusion of the game.
The left-arm spinner, who finished with three wickets, said she particularly enjoyed dismissing Deepti Sharma. “For me, whenever I plan, I always think about taking the wicket of a key batter, because getting good players out gives a different kind of joy. I wanted that wicket but didn’t get it – Renuka got it. Sorry, not Renuka, Kashvee got it.
“I also got Deepti’s wicket. Usually, when a left-hander comes in, maybe they hesitate to give me the ball, but I actually like bowling to left-handers. And I got Deepti’s wicket, so I’m very happy. In terms of skill, I’ve focused more on myself and worked more on my strengths. That’s all. I’ve backed myself, and I’m getting success from that,” added Rajeshwari.
Veteran New Zealand all-rounder Sophie Devine, who contributed with both bat and ball, said Gujarat had always targeted a score above 150. “Look, it was an interesting game of cricket. I thought if we could get above that 150 mark, we were always going to be competitive. I guess turning the screws, we know the danger that the UP side has in their batting line-up. So, I guess once we got through a couple of their big key wickets, it was just a case of holding our nerve and finishing the game off.
Asked about her batting down the order, Sophie said, “Oh, I can’t remember, a couple of days ago. But I think that’s the great thing about this team and the way that Maxi and Marshy are sort of leading it, that we’ve got flexibility to be able to bring in Danni, who I thought was great up top with Moons and showed real intent.
“I guess I’ve batted a lot and all sorts of different positions, so it’s no biggie for me. So being able to just go down and slot down at number 5, I guess that’s probably one of the bonuses of having played for so long, is that you can just adjust, and I guess adapt to the role that the team needs from you.
She also praised Rajeshwari’s bowling performance. “Look, I think it’s above my pay grade. I’m not involved in those conversations, but the way that Gayakwad came in and performed today was outstanding. I thought the way that she varied her flight and pace, I guess, deceived the batters on a wicket that I think is pretty tough. So she was fantastic, and I guess it just shows the confidence we’ve got in the full squad that someone can come in and perform like that.
GG put out a much-improved fielding performance, and Sophie attributed it to the team meeting held in the run-up to Thursday’s clash. “I think the first couple of games of this competition we were outstanding in the field, and we’re probably really disappointed with our efforts.
“So there was a real, I guess, conscious decision from the whole group, and Maxi sort of led that in the team meeting today, was just being involved, attention to detail, and just being really thorough. So I think it was a great effort from the girls there. We saw a lot of people throw themselves around and really commit themselves. So fielding’s a team effort, and I thought we showed that today.
Asked about Beth Mooney’s keeping, Sophie said, “I was going to say, it’s overrated using your hands. That’s how good she is now; she just kicks it. But look, to have someone of her calibre behind the stumps, I thought she was outstanding today. She tidied up a fair bit of my mess, but just what she can do and tidy up dodgy throws and whatnot, it makes a huge difference.”
–IANS
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