NEWS
Follow UsWalking in to bat with UP Warriorz two down in pursuit of 153, Deepti Sharma had a task on her hands. She was the in-form batter for her side, with scores of 53* and 59 in her last two innings. She had to play another huge hand if the Warriroz are to get over the line and stay alive in the Women's Premier League (WPL).
UP then were quickly reduced to 35 for 5 after seven overs, and their chances of succumbing to a massive defeat seemed on. That's when Poonam Khemnar joined hands with Deepti. They put on an unbeaten stand of 109 and got the equation down to 10 off the final two deliveries from an improbable position, but in the end, Meghna Singh held her nerve to hand Gujarat Giants their second win of the season.
"We needed plenty of runs when the second time-out was called. We planned to keep the asking rate to under 10 and further down to seven or eight. It was around 12 at that point. I said if you hit straight, it would be easier than hitting across the line as the ball could take the top-edge. That's what the discussion was - that if we hit straight, we could take it close," Deepti, who scored an unbeaten 88 off just 60 deliveries, said at the post-match press conference.
Deepti has picked up an array of shots in the tournament and puts that down to the encouragement of head coach Jon Lewis, who has changed her mindset.
"Jon has played a role in changing my mindset with my batting," Deepti said.
"He has told me that you are a player who can change the course of the match from any situation. I knew my strengths, but deep down, I was not able to execute what I wanted to with my batting. He told me to play positive, play your natural game; he has changed my mindset.
"I can play in any position, as I have done in the past. I am always prepared because he tells me in advance about the position I will bat in. I remain mentally ready as well and then play according to the situation.
"He knows my strengths and my abilities: where I can change the game - it feels when he backs me. As a player, when a coach backs you, you get the confidence. I hope to continue playing such innings in the future as well," she further adds.
The 27-year-old also reveals that she has been working on her power-hitting, which has helped her strike the ball a long way.
"I have worked on my power-hitting. Whenever I got time during practice, I tried to hit the ball long. I keep my backlift stable so that the bat does not turn. So, small things like these have helped me, due to which I am able to play the big shots," Deepti, who is the leading run-getter in WPL 2024, said.
The Warriorz have played all their round-robin matches in the WPL 2024 so far. They still have a minuscule chance of qualifying for the playoffs, but their fate is no longer in their hands as they are dependent on other results.
