"The 3 expensive overseas players will have to perform" - Sushma Verma on Gujarat Giants' winless run heading into WPL 2024 clash against UP Warriorz

Sushma Verma has said that the Gujarat Giants' big-ticket overseas players need to perform for the franchise to do well in WPL 2024.

The Giants are last in the points table and are the only team yet to register a win this season. They face the UP Warriorz in their third game in Bengaluru on Friday, March 1.

On Sports 18, Verma opined that the likes of Beth Mooney, Phoebe Litchfield and Ashleigh Gardner need to deliver the goods for the Gujarat Giants to succeed:

"The time has come, you are good on paper but you have to transfer that into performance. I will say the performance of the batters because you have to give a total for your bowlers to defend. The bowlers are still doing well, your fielding is also okay, but the batters need to score runs."

"Beth Mooney hasn't done any deeds that she is known for, Phoebe Litchfield - the form she is coming with, and Ash Gardner. The three expensive overseas players will have to perform and then only your bowlers will be able to do anything," the former Giants wicketkeeper-batter added.

Mooney and Litchfield have aggregated 44 runs between them in four innings at dismissal averages of 16 and six respectively. Gardner has managed only 22 runs in two innings and picked up a solitary wicket.

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"Gujarat Giants will have to take a lesson from UP Warriorz" - Reema Malhotra

The Gujarat Giants finished last in WPL 2023. (P/C: wplt20.com)

Reema Malhotra urged the Gujarat Giants to take inspiration from the UP Warriorz's win against the Mumbai Indians:

"Gujarat Giants will have to take a lesson from UP Warriorz, that if UP Warriorz can do it, they can also do it. UP Warriorz have got the rhythm. They have got a new opener, a new emerging star in Kiran Navgire, who played a good knock."

The former India spinner termed Friday's clash a must-win game for the Giants:

"So that team will come full of confidence but an injured lion is always dangerous.

"This will be a must-win game for the Giants because they will want to remain in the playoff race. So every game will become extremely important for them now."

Malhotra added that Beth Mooney needs to use her resources better. She pointed out that while the GG captain didn't bowl Ashleigh Gardner at the start against Smriti Mandhana, she didn't use Tanuja Kanwar effectively either with both bat and ball in their previous game against the Royal Challengers Bangalore.