Gujarat Giants once again highlighted a recurring concern in their batting

 

Gujarat Giants once again highlighted a recurring concern in their batting — an overdependence on overseas players. With four foreign batters in the top five, the imbalance was clear despite repeated denials. The issue became even more evident when Ayushi Soni, promoted as a promising young talent, was retired out after scoring 11 off 14 balls — the first such instance in WPL history.
At the time, even Georgia Wareham was struggling to accelerate, scoring 27 off 24 despite three boundaries. Giants opted to hold faith in Wareham’s late-overs hitting and instead sent in Bharti Fulmali to attack in the final phase. The strategy paid off.
Fulmali, after surviving two overturned lbw decisions, smashed 36 off just 15 deliveries and lifted Gujarat to 192/5 — a score still underwhelming given the strong batting conditions, especially considering they were 96/2 by the 9th over.
Michael Klinger later explained the Soni decision, saying the team had anticipated a sharp scoring boost in the last four overs, and Fulmali was better suited for that phase. He admitted it was a tough call on the individual but justified it as adding around 20 extra runs.
Meanwhile, Kanika Ahuja’s impressive intent at No. 3 stood out. Promoted due to Anushka Sharma’s injury, she attacked both pace and spin, hitting powerful strokes against Hayley Matthews and Shabnim Ismail. Her 35 off 18 balls kept the Giants afloat early, even after Devine and Mooney fell. Before Ahuja’s dismissal, all three overseas batters were already out, leaving the Indian contingent with the responsibility of carrying the innings alongside Wareham.
However, Gujarat stalled badly between overs 9 to 16, scoring only 40 runs — a slowdown that ultimately proved costly. In contrast, Mumbai Indians hammered 78 runs in the same period through counterattacking knocks from Harmanpreet Kaur, Amanjot Kaur, and Nicola Carey, setting up their successful chase.
Despite posting a record target of 193, Gujarat’s fielding lapses hurt them further. Three dropped catches allowed Harmanpreet to continue, and Ayushi Soni unfortunately dropped two of them, worsening her difficult outing.
Blaming Soni would be unfair — she was making her WPL debut after years away from top-tier competitive cricket. Instead, the defeat reflected a pattern familiar in Gujarat’s performances: when overseas stars fail to dominate, the team struggles to sustain momentum.
Still, Kanika Ahuja and Bharti Fulmali’s contributions were major positives. Their cameos took the game to the final over and showcased the potential within India’s emerging players. It is precisely these situations — when the overseas core underperforms — that give young domestic talent real opportunities under pressure.
The Giants have found themselves in such scenarios repeatedly across three seasons, unintentionally creating pathways for Indian players to break through. More debutants from this franchise have gone on to make national team appearances than any other WPL side.
While Soni missed her chance this time, further opportunities may arise due to Anushka Sharma’s injury. The team management has assured continued support to ensure her confidence remains intact.