Anushka Sharma wreaked havoc in her Women’s Premier League debut against UP Warriorz at the DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai. Having enormous success for Madhya Pradesh in domestic cricket and also for India C, Gujarat Giants bought her for INR 45 lakhs in the WPL auction. Royal Challengers Bengaluru, too, were interested in her service, but Gujarat eventually had the last laugh.
Batting at number three against UP Warriorz, Anushka slammed 44 runs off 30 balls and stitched a commendable 103-run partnership with legendary Ash Gardner. Having no prior experience of playing under such immense pressure, Anushka seemed well in control during her stay on the crease. After the innings, she claimed to be under a bit of pressure but after playing a couple of deliveries, she got into the groove. She also spoke about the importance of having the right mindset to get going.
“To be honest, I was a little nervous, but as I played 2-3 balls, it went away. It was a great outing, I had great company as well, it was crucial to build a partnership at that time, me and Ash (Gardner) were talking about building a partnership and that went well for our team,” Anushka said after the first innings.
“It is more about mindset, how you read situations and react according to that. The domestic season obviously helped a lot for me, the preparation also was on point as we have a great staff with us, they helped me so much with the areas where I can execute my boundaries and sixes. It is a very good total on this wicket and we have a great bowling side,” she added.
Anushka’s history and potential future
Notably, hailing from MP, Anushka scored 620 runs and has taken 22 wickets in the FC circuit before Gujarat picked her in the auction. In her last competitive game in December, the youngster scored a half-century against India B and also picked up two wickets for 26 runs. She is currently in good form and, courtesy of this, Gujarat trusted the 22-year-old to bat at number three, a position considered extremely important in white-ball cricket.
Meanwhile, if Anushka manages to keep up with the momentum, she can be a handy option for the national team in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. Jemimah Rodrigues is sealed at number three, with Harmanpreet Kaur at four. However, Anushka can be an excellent backup, given the cricketer can bat with a good strike rate, something India struggle with in marquee tournaments.
