WPL 2024: Budding cricketers join Gujarat Giants for special training session

BENGALURU: The Women's Premier League (WPL) team Gujarat Giants had enthusiastic guests on Saturday when some aspiring cricketers from the Adani Sportsline’s Ahmedabad academy joined them for training. The girls spent time in close quarters with the biggest names in world cricket and got a lot of inspiration and knowledge from the team.

One of the youngsters in the nets was Riya who was very happy about this opportunity.

“It feels great for this opportunity of sharing the nets with such big cricketers. I am thankful to my coaches as well as the Adani Sportsline. We got to take in the experience of watching how international cricketers practice for the big games,” she said.

A budding bowler, Riya grabbed her chance to learn from her idol Sneh Rana. Speaking about the reasons for her admiration of the team’s vice-captain, she said. “As an aspiring bowler, I observed and learnt how the team tried to beat the batters. There is a bright future for cricketers like us. Lea Tahuhu is another player I closely looked at, but one player I idolise as a bowler is Sneh Rana. She seems to remain calm in tough situations, which is very important.”

Yet another keen bowler who attended the nets session was Pari. The spinner was excited to see Harleen Deol and Ashleigh Gardner in the nets. “Ashleigh Gardner is one player who can find the perfect line and length and as a budding spinner, it was one thing I learned after seeing her in the nets today. I am also a big fan of Harleen Deol for the way she bats. These players inspire me to become better,” she explained.

Mananya, an all-rounder, and a fan of Meghna Singh. "The Adani Sportsline has given us a very nice opportunity to witness these players and interact with them. I watched Meghna Singh bowling closely. I learnt how she accelerated her pace and worked on her line and lengths in the nets. Getting the right flow during the run-up can be hard but she did it very well,” she said.

Watching players like the Gujarat Giants skipper Beth Mooney inspired these young girls to take up the sport. “I want to play cricket at a much higher level. I want to share the stage with these players, like Beth Mooney. Her elegance while playing her square drives and cut shots, and how she weighs her innings is very important. She is also a very good captain,” added Mananya.

“Adani Sportsline's dedication to fostering women's cricket from the grassroots is truly inspiring. Meeting the enthusiastic young girls from their Ahmedabad academy at the camp was a delight. Their genuine passion and inquisitive minds reflected their love for the game. Spending these days with them was incredibly fulfilling, and I'm hopeful they'll take away valuable lessons to become not just better athletes but also better individuals," said the team mentor Mithali Raj.

Reacting to the very different sort of training session, Sanjay Adesara, CBO Adani Sportsline, said, “Since WPL season 1 to now, there’s been enthusiasm among young girls keen to take up cricket, and the Adani Sportsline academies have seen an increase in participation as well in the recent past. This kind of response is definitely encouraging and we hope the trend continues.”