WPL 2027: Choosing four overseas players in playing XI will be really hard, says Klinger

New Delhi, Oct 29 (IANS) Gujarat Giants (GG) head coach Michael Klinger said picking the four overseas players in the playing eleven will be one of the toughest calls the franchise faces when the 2027 Women’s Premier League (WPL) happens from January 14 to February 7. 

At the auction held in Kochi, GG filled their three vacant slots by signing India wicketkeeper-batter G Kamalini (for Rs 40 lakh), Ireland’s seam-bowling all-rounder Orla Prendergast and talented all-rounder Samaira Raghav, who was a late addition to the auction pool, for Rs 30 lakh and Rs 10 lakh, respectively.

GG now have six overseas players: captain Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney, Sophie Devine, Georgia Wareham, Kim Garth and Orla, who became the first Irish cricketer to be picked in the WPL.

“The four overseas playing spots are going to be really hard to choose with the quality we have. Last year we went with our four batters, or rounders. We have Kim Garth as well, who didn’t play last year and is in career best form at the moment.

“So she’s certainly going to be pushing to play matches as well and provides fantastic new ball and death bowling options for us. Along with Orla now, it’s going to be some really difficult decisions, but that’s a good problem to have,” Klinger told IANS in an exclusive conversation after the auction on Thursday.

The Ashleigh Gardner-led side made the playoffs last season but lost to Delhi Capitals in the Eliminator. In WPL 2027, with the venues yet to be known, GG will be aiming to go one step further and clinch their first-ever title.

On the rationale of signing Kamalini, who played last two WPL seasons for the Mumbai Indians, despite already having two keepers in Beth and Yastika Bhatia, Klinger stated the franchise had been prepared to pay more for her and would use her purely as a batter.

“With Kamalini, we thought there were going to be more bidders for her. So to get her at base price was great. We probably would have bid a little bit high if required. So I think just her versatility in the batting order gives us options both for her and our other batters and for our overseas options as well.

“In terms of having three keepers, we’re probably looking for her as a batter only. Initially with Yastika and Beth options to take the gloves, I think they’re probably the ones we’ll go with at the start. But Kamalini’s played as a batter only before and we’re really excited to have her,” he added.

In terms of Samaira, uncapped finishers are hard to come by in the WPL, and Samaira has shown that ability while turning out for Delhi in the Women’s Under-19 T20 Trophy this year, where she made 162 runs at an average of 54 and a strike rate of 216, including being unbeaten four times.

In that tournament, Samaira recorded strike rates of 325 against Pondicherry, 308 against Bengal, 275 against Uttarakhand, 221 against Saurashtra and 192 in the semi-final against Haryana.

“Samaira has a reputation of being a really good middle order batter who finishes innings off really well. She’s done that recently in the under-19 domestic tournament, and we had her at our training camp a few weeks ago in Bengaluru, where in some scenarios and practice matches, she did the same thing,” added Klinger.

Samaira first caught the attention of WPL scouts while turning out for North Delhi Strikers in the Women’s Delhi Premier League (DPL) this year, where she hit a match-winning six when the equation read six runs needed off two balls against the East Delhi Riders at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

Based in Gurugram, Samaira was a short-distance sprinter before her father nudged her towards taking up cricket and soon loved playing the sport. “To have someone so young who can do that and have a good head on her shoulders is really exciting. Now she might get picked in the (U-19) World Cup squad – if that’s the case, then we may not see much of her this year. But if she happens not to, we’d love to have her,” concluded Klinger.

--IANS

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