3 Indian players for whom WPL 2024 could be make-or-break ft. Harleen Deol

The Indian team has seen several ups and downs in the recent past, with many new players making their way into the side, courtesy of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), and some renowned faces missing out from the squad.

The Indian team did not have a Head Coach when they walked into the T20 World Cup in 2023, which affected the decision-making process. Very recently, Amol Muzumdar was appointed for the role, and the Indian team saw new faces again.

Under Muzumdar’s guidance, India defeated England and Australia in the one-off Test matches in December 2023 but the Women in Blue could not assert their dominance in the white-ball games against either of the opponents.

With so many players on the radar and the next edition of the T20 World Cup fast approaching, the WPL 2024 will be an opportunity for the cricketers to showcase their prowess and also for the selectors and management to form a strong squad.

On that note, let us look at three Indian players for whom the second edition of the Women’s Premier League could be a make-or-break.

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#1 Rajeshwari Gayakwad

UP Warriorz’s spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad has been an experienced name in the Indian circuit, having represented the Women in Blue in 58 T20Is, 64 ODIs and four Tests. Nevertheless, she has been in and out of the playing XI in the white-ball format.

She recently played a key role in the one-off Tests against Australia and England, but couldn’t find herself a place in the XI for the white-ball leg of the series. The last time she represented India in the shorter formats was during the Asian Games in September.

She played three T20Is at the Asian Games and finished with as many wickets. Even after her impressive outings, she warmed the benches during the T20Is against England in December 2023, and also during the ODIs and T20Is against Australia that followed.

Gayakwad would be hoping to put up notable performances to find herself a spot in India’s squad for the T20 World Cup scheduled later this year, as well as the Asia Cup before that.

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#2 Kiran Navgire

Kiran Navgire rose to fame when she notched up the fastest half-century of the tournament at the now-defunct Women’s T20 Challenge. She made the most of the opportunity and racked up runs for fun, which led to her emergence in the sport.

Navgire had been playing the tournament for the first time in the 2022 edition, and made her debut for the Velocity. In the game against the Smriti Mandhana-led Trailblazers, Navgire smashed a fifty off 25 deliveries and announced her arrival in style.

Her innings included a humungous 89m six as she finished with five fours and as many sixes in that game. She went on to make her T20I debut when India toured England in September of that year and was also a part of India’s triumphant campaign at the Women’s Asia Cup 2022.

After failing to make an impact in the four innings that she batted in, Navgire was dropped from the side and has been missing from India’s scheme of things since. Her WPL 2023 campaign with the UP Warriorz saw her score just one half-century in nine matches.

Despite her sub-par last term, there are very few batters who can bat the way Navgire does. Not many Indian cricketers have the muscle power that she boasts, and hence she’d be looking to prove her mettle at the WPL 2024 to get back in India colors.

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#3 Harleen Deol

One of the regular faces in the Indian camp, Harleen Deol has been in and out of the setup of late. She has represented India in 24 T20Is and 10 ODIs, with 251 runs in the 20-over games and 207 in the 50-over games. Deol also has eight international wickets under her belt.

Harleen, who represents the Gujarat Giants, has played only five international matches ever since the conclusion of the inaugural edition of the WPL. She played a crucial role during India’s ODI clash against Bangladesh at Mirpur in July 2023.

On a pitch that assisted the batters, Harleen Deol emerged as the highest scorer for India and scored 77 off 108 deliveries. Smriti Mandhana’s 59 followed by Harleen’s composed knock helped India tie the match as the series ended in a draw.

But Harleen Deol has not played a game of T20I since July 2023, when India squared off against Bangladesh. She was a part of the T20I squad that faced Australia in December 2023 but failed to make her way into the playing XI.

With the T20 World Cup as her major focus, Harleen would look forward to putting up all-round performances for the Giants at the WPL and helping the side put up a better showing after their forgettable outing in the previous season, where they finished with the wooden spoon.