Mumbai: The Gujarat Giants team could not start the Women’s Premier League (WPL) in the desired way. This team was defeated by Mumbai Indians by 143 runs in the first match of the league played on Saturday. Batting first, Mumbai scored 207 runs losing five wickets in the stipulated 20 overs. In response, the Gujarat team was able to score 64 runs after a lot of effort and lost the match. Apart from the defeat in this match, Gujarat got another setback. Its captain Beth Mooney was injured.
Mooney had already got a muscle strain on the fourth ball of the over. After that she left the field. She kept waiting till the last but she did not return to bat and that’s why Gujarat’s team lost as soon as its ninth wicket fell.
An unfortunate start to the chase for the Gujarat Giants!
Captain Beth Mooney is retired hurt while Harleen Deol gets dismissed in the very first over by @natsciver, #TATAWPL , #GGvMI pic.twitter.com/Pxa25TsVV7
— Women’s Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) Mar 4, 2023
read this also–Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians: Mumbai’s fiery start, Gujarat destroyed in the very first match
Doubt on next match
Gujarat got defeated in their first match and the captain had to sit out but now the question is whether Mooney will be able to play in the next match or not. Gujarat has to play its next match against UP Warriors on the fifth date i.e. Sunday but there is doubt about Mooney whether she will be able to play in the next match or not. Because there is not a single day gap in the Gujarat match, Mooney will not get time to recover from the injury. After the match, when the team’s vice-captain Sneh Rana was asked about him, he said, “The medical team will give information about him in a short time, then his condition will be known.”
If Mooney’s injury is more serious then he will take time to recover. If Mooney is not able to play, then Rana will captain in his place but it will be very difficult for the team management to fill his place as a batsman. The kind of batsman Mooney is, she can score fast runs and get the team off to a good start.
read this also- Harmanpreet Kaur became the attacker, Jamai WPL history’s first Fifty, wreaked havoc with 14 fours
Who will take the place?
Now the question is who will replace Mooney and then what will be the team combination. Mooney is the wicketkeeper and in such a situation Gujarat has the second wicketkeeping option Sushma Verma. But Sushma is not an opener. The team has Sophie Dunkley for this position. Now the team management will have to puzzle over how to include these two in the team. Or the team can get the opening done by Sushma herself.