‘SHE IS CONTINUING THE RICH FORM SHE HAS CARRIED FROM THE LAST SERIES’ – MITHALI RAJ ON ASHLEIGH GARDNER

Bengaluru, February 17, 2025:  Speaking exclusively on Amul Cricket Live on JioHotstar, Mithali Raj shared her thoughts on Ashleigh Gardner’s innings of 52 off 32 balls: “I think Ashleigh is continuing the rich form she has carried from the last series. In the first game, we saw her hitting sixes, and today’s innings was even better than the last. She built a crucial partnership with Laura Wolvaardt, laying a strong foundation for Deandra Dottin to come in and play her role effectively.”

Speaking about the partnership between Deandra Dottin and Harleen Deol, Mithali Raj said on Amul Cricket Live on JioHotstar,“Yes, I think it was an important partnership, because Harleen Deol got an opportunity in the middle and made the most of it, stitching together another valuable partnership with Deandra Dottin. While the runs may not have been big, it was crucial for Dottin to be at the crease because when she is there, you always have a chance to finish the match. Harleen also played some impressive shots against Sophie Ecclestone. Though she started a bit tentatively, she looked much more confident as she played in front of the wicket.”

Sharing her insights on Deandra Dottin’s power-hitting, Mithali Raj said on Amul Cricket Live on JioHotstar:“There is immense power in her shots, but what sets her apart from other six-hitting batters is her incredible bat speed. She doesn’t rely on a big backlift, instead, her strong wrists generate that quick bat swing, which is a huge advantage. Whether she is playing off the back foot or going over the boundary line, that bat speed and wrist work are her strengths. She also creates room for herself while playing in front, which makes her shots even more effective.”

Speaking about what Deepti Sharma could have done differently, Mithali Raj said on Amul Cricket Live on JioHotstar:“Well, I think we need to consider that this was her first game, and we shouldn’t be too critical. She did miss the presence of senior players in the squad, but moving forward, the team management will have to think carefully about the balance, perhaps bringing in an extra bowler instead of a batter. Right now, the batting is heavily reliant on Indian domestic players, so they need to assess their strategy accordingly.”

Speaking on Amul Cricket Live, JioHotstar, Mithali Raj also spoke about UP Warriorz captain Deepti Sharma’s performance against the Gujarat Giants, “Deepti was playing with a very healthy strike rate at about 140 plus and yes, it’s just unfortunate. She couldn’t get the sort of support she required at that time to build partnership. They did have a 40-50 (runs) partnership, but then she wanted more out of the overseas players like Tahlia McGrath or Grace Harris to give her support and stay there and add more runs. Whatever little time she spent she tried to keep that momentum going and get those runs going for UP Warriorz.”