3 reasons why Gujarat Giants signing Lea Tahuhu for WPL 2024 is the right move

Gujarat Giants have added New Zealand bowler Lea Tahuhu to their squad as a replacement for Australian bowler Lauren Cheatle ahead of the second edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL).

The 25-year-old, who was bought at her base price of INR 30 lakh, was ruled out of the tournament after undergoing treatment to remove skin cancer from her neck. Tahuhu will be joining the Giants at the same value.

"Gujarat Giants (GG) named Lea Tahuhu as a replacement for Lauren Cheatle for the upcoming edition of the TATA Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2024, starting February 23, 2024," the WPL media advisory said.

The WPL 2024 is all set to kick off on Friday, February 23, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The tournament will be played at two venues this season, with Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi being the host to the second half of the league, including the final.

Gujarat Giants finished with the wooden spoon in the inaugural edition of the WPL in 2023. Their campaign saw several ups and downs, with some of the key players being ruled out due to injury concerns.

The Giants managed to bag only four points throughout the tournament as they lost six out of the eight games that they played. Though the Royal Challengers Bangalore had an equal number of wins under their belt, Gujarat Giants finished last because of a poor NRR of -2.220.

With Cheatle’s exit, the Gujarat Giants faced an early setback but will be hopeful of making it to the playoffs this season, given the strength of their revamped squad. Tahuhu’s experience will further bolster their chances.

Gujarat Giants released several members of their squad before the auction and added quite a few top names. They spent INR 2 crore on Kashvee Gautam, making the Indian all-rounder the most expensive uncapped player in the tournament’s history.

With Beth Mooney set to return to the helm after being ruled out last year due to an injury, and Michael Klinger taking charge as the team’s head coach, the Giants will be eager to create an impact and make a comeback.

On that note, let’s look at three reasons why Gujarat Giants signing the New Zealand star is the right move for their WPL 2024 campaign.

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#3 2023 has been Lea Tahuhu's best year in terms of number of wickets

Lea Tahuhu had one of her finest outings for the White Ferns in the year 2023. Having represented the team for 12 years, Tahuhu finished with 14 wickets to her name to record her personal best in a calendar year.

She played nine games in 2023 and also registered figures of 4/21 in the clash against Sri Lanka women. Her most recent international outing was against Pakistan, but she went wicketless in the two games.

Nevertheless, she was able to make amends in the Women’s Super Smash 2023/24 while representing the Canterbury Women. Given her current form, Tahuhu will surely be the one to look out for in the Gujarat Giants’ camp.

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#2 Momentum from recently concluded Women’s Super Smash

Tahuhu represented the Canterbury Magicians in the recently concluded Women’s Super Smash 2023/24. She finished eighth in the list of highest wicket-takers of the tournament, with 10 scalps to her name from eight matches.

Though Canterbury had an abysmal outing in the tournament this year, Tahuhu showed promise with the ball. She picked up wickets at crucial junctures during the game and was one of the skipper’s go-to bowlers.

Having played several games in the shortest format recently, Tahuhu will aim to carry the momentum into the Women’s Premier League and improve her performances with the ball for the Gujarat Giants.

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#1 Vast international and domestic experience

Lea Tahuhu made her international debut in June 2011 in an ODI against Australia. Within a few days, she earned her T20I cap when New Zealand faced India at Bristol in the NatWest Women's T20 Quadrangular Series.

Since then, she has represented New Zealand in 93 ODIs and 80 T20Is, picking up 109 and 78 wickets, respectively, in the two formats. Given her international experience in the shortest format of the game, the team and the skipper will put their faith in Tahuhu when she takes the field.

Apart from her experience in the international setup, Tahuhu’s performance in the Women’s Big Bash League has also been noteworthy, where she has bagged 57 wickets at 6.12 in the 70 games that she has played.