WPL 2023: Harleen Deol stars in Giants' maiden win
Gujarat Giants finally bagged their first win in the Women's Premier League (WPL) when they defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore. GG batted first and posted 201/7, courtesy of fifties from Harleen Deol and Sophia Dunkley. Deol held one end up throughout the entire inning and stitched crucial partnerships with Dunkley and Ashleigh Gardner. This was Deol's maiden WPL fifty. Here are the stats.
Maiden WPL fifty for Harleen Deol
Deol played the anchor for GG as Dunkley took the attack to the opposition. She was looking for gaps and rotating the strike allowing her English teammate more opportunity to take the aggressive route. She scored a 45-ball 67 and stitched salubrious stands with Dunkley and Gardner. Deol smashed nine fours and a six in her maiden WPL fifty.
Third-most runs in WPL
Deol has been GG's most consistent batter in the three WPL games. After getting out for a duck in the first game against MI, she scored 113 runs in the next two. She missed out on her fifty against UP Warriorz (46) but reached there eventually against RCB. Deol is third in the runs leaderboard behind Meg Lanning (142) and Hayley Matthews (124).
Early days in Indian colors
Deol made her India debut in 2019 against England Women. However, she has not managed to cement her place in the team playing only 22 matches and scoring 245 runs. Deol's solitary fifty in WT20Is came against South Africa (52). She has scored the majority of her runs against the Proteas (141). Deol has also picked six wickets in WT20Is.
How did the match pan out?
GG batted first and after losing S Meghana early, they saw Dunkley and Deol deliver at the top. Later Gardner also added finishing touches alongside Anabel Sutherland. While chasing, Smriti Mandhana and Sophie Devine added 52 runs. Later Ellyse Perry (32) and Heather Knight (30) tried their best but Gardner's 3/31 and Sutherland's 2/56 were enough to help GG earn their maiden WPL win.
