WPL 2023: Former Indian Cricketer Reema Malhotra hails Harmanpreet Kaur’s batting in the WPL Opener. The Indian captain started off the inaugural edition of the tournament by smashing a half-century at a strike rate of over 200.
The inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League has begun on Saturday between Mumbai Indians and Gujrat Giants at the DY Patil Sports Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Beth Mooney led Gujarat won the toss and was elected to field first in WPL Opener.
Harmanpreet led Mumbai came to bat first after losing the toss which went all in their favor as they posted a massive target of 208 runs for Gujarat to chase. Mumbai Captain’s fearless batting where she scored 65 runs off 30 deliveries helped her team put a huge target on board.
Along with Kaur, Hailey Matthews (47 runs) and Amelia Kerr (45 runs) played a crucial role in Mumbai’s innings. Gujarat came to bat in the second innings to chase the massive target but instead fell like a house of cards. Mooney-led girls could not even reach half of the target put up by Mumbai. Only two players from Gujarat reached double-digit figures whereas four players went out for a duck.
Reema Malhotra lauded Harmanpreet Kaur after the match
Reema Malhotra, the former Indian cricketer who played as a right-handed batter was in awe of Harmanpreet Kaur’s inning which helped Mumbai to register a win in the opener of WPL.
During a discussion on JioCinema, Malhotra heaped praise on Harmanpreet Kaur, saying:
“Harmanpreet Kaur’s name used to resonate in every household, and her recent knock was a display of pure class. As a captain, she shows her abilities through action rather than words.”
The 33-year-old hit 14 fours during her innings and no sixes at all.
“Her shot selection elaborated her skill level as a player. Rather than relying on big sixes or uncontrolled slogs after stepping out of the crease, she executed purely cricketing shots. She played to her strengths and demonstrated an impressive range of shots, resulting in a captain’s knock”
“Her confidence was seen from the start of today’s innings, in both her shots and body language. It seemed as though she had come prepared with a plan for how to play on this particular pitch. As the innings progressed, her shots improved one after the other, whether it was the drive, pull, or sweep shot. Her timing was impeccable.” Reema further said.
“Harmanpreet Kaur demonstrated her mastery in playing with the field settings, displaying smart and calculated batting. Her ability to identify gaps in the field and exploit them allowed her to score runs on the challenging wicket. Her knock during the first match of the WPL is sure to go down in history.” she said.
