Sports
WPL 2024: Meet Delhi leg-spinner Priya Mishra – aiming to put her best foot forward for Gujarat Giants
New Delhi, Feb 24 (IANS) When the 2024 Women’s Premier League (WPL) auction was happening in Mumbai on December 9, 2023, Delhi leg-spinner Priya Mishra was in the same city. However, the 19-year-old got to see the auction on the bus after wrapping up the practice session ahead of Delhi’s opening match against Gujarat in the U23 Women’s T20 Trophy.
When her name came up for auction, Priya and her teammates were gathered in the hotel room — a mixture of excitement and curiosity buzzed among them, all eager to discover who would successfully rope in Priya for the tournament.
Even Priya’s mother Sudha and elder sister Kajal, who were at home in Delhi, felt that same sensation as they kept talking to her over the phone. The moment the Adani Sportsline-owned Gujarat Giants secured Priya for INR 20 lakh; the atmosphere turned electric. Joyful celebrations and tears of happiness ensued, as the young leg-spinner grasped the reality of joining WPL 2024.
“So, when my name came up for the first time, I felt very happy and after Gujarat Giants took me in, I became very emotional and felt ‘finally I am going to be here’. My mother and sister were very happy and said, ‘You did it, now think of what will happen next and do well in the tournament’,” recalls Priya in an exclusive conversation with IANS, facilitated by the franchise.
In the U23 T20 tournament, Priya eventually took ten wickets in eight matches at an average of 16.70 and an economy rate of 5.38 as Delhi secured a runner-up finish. Before this, she picked eight wickets in six games with an economy rate of 6.34 and an average of 18.25 in the senior women’s T20 trophy.
Growing up in Karol Bagh, Priya’s love for cricket blossomed as she played with her friends on the streets and in the park. Her journey into the world of serious cricket began when she enrolled at Salwan Girls School, Rajinder Nagar, in the seventh grade.
“There was a teacher named Pooja Chandra mam, who would teach cricket. It was she who asked me to bring my father to school as I wanted to play cricket. They then went to the coach, Shravan sir, and I took up playing cricket at the school after being explained a lot by him.”
“If not for Pooja mam, I don’t think I would have played cricket professionally. I am always talking to Shravan sir, including on the days I didn’t bowl well. On days, when I perform well, he says, ‘it’s been three and four wickets you have taken in the match, think now about performing well in the future’. He scolds, but explains well too.”
At first, Priya focused on medium-pace bowling for about three to four months, but after receiving advice from Shravan sir, she switched to leg spin. “He said to stop bowling medium-pace as I didn’t have the height for it and wasn’t able to bowl at the desired speed. He then suggested me to bowl leg-spin.”
“From then, it’s been no looking back for me as a leg-spinner. At that time, when I began, the leg-spin wouldn’t happen. In medium-pace, my landing was rough. But then, I put in the hard yards to learn bowling leg-spin.”
Priya, like any aspiring leg-spinner, idolised the legendary Shane Warne and was captivated by his ability to spin the ball. In the modern era, she admires Yuzvendra Chahal for his bowling action and Rashid Khan for his impeccable accuracy in line and length.
“Turn is the most beautiful thing about leg-spin bowling. I like turn in speed, but don’t prefer much of flight. I prefer to make the batter play forward due to turn and then get the ball to turn past her. If you are bowling four leg-spin deliveries in an over, then the remaining two balls will be googly. In googly, the line and length will go here and there, but I always try to get it to turn from outside the off-stump.”
Support from the family has been immense in Priya’s cricketing journey. Whenever she had matches or camps at the Feroz Shah Kotla, her parents, Sudha and Sandeep, would make sure to drop her off and pick her up without fail. During Sandeep’s office hours, Sudha would take on ensuring Priya reached the stadium on schedule. This arrangement continued for 1.5 years until Priya started going to Kotla alone.
“My father has been very supportive of me playing cricket, saying ‘You are just not my daughter, you are like my son’. My sister urged me by saying, ‘You take up cricket and you can do well in it’. My mother was also after me by saying, ‘You have to play cricket and be at it’. No one told me to pursue studies, as everyone talked about me taking up cricket.”
“My brother’s (Arpit) favourite sport is cricket, while my sister watches a little bit of it. But when my matches are on, she watches them. If I get a scalp, she becomes very elated and informs everyone by shouting ‘My sister has taken a wicket’.
The realization that cricket could be a potential career for Priya dawned upon her following a U19 match. “In that game, my team wasn’t getting wickets. I came in to bowl three overs and got six wickets. I had the best time of my life while bowling that spell and that gave me a feeling that I can do something in cricket.”
After the U23 Women’s T20 tournament, Priya emerged as the leading wicket-taker in the Senior Women’s One-day trophy with 23 scalps in eight games at an average of 9.86 and an economy rate of 3.86. Priya received the Player of the Tournament award, despite Delhi’s loss to Railways in the semifinals.
“I wasn’t there to receive the award as we got out before reaching the final. I came back home and was going out for some work, when one of my friends, Simran Didi, called me to say I got the Player of the Tournament award. I was very happy about it and the talk with her was about doing well in the coming games.”
So far, Priya has had a fantastic experience with the Giants, receiving support from the entire team during match simulations, especially from bowling coach Nooshin Al Khadeer and mentor-advisor Mithali Raj.
“Nooshin mam has made me go through many drills in terms of spin-bowling and explains things very well. She would point out an area and say ‘This is your spot and you don’t need to see who’s the batter in front. You just need to bowl your ball’. Mithali mam is also great at explaining what to do when you bowl too much short or full in the lengths.”
“When match-based stimulations happen in practice, the thing which comes to the mind is to approach it in the way you are playing a match. Like, they tell you to save certain runs in an over and imagine if the batter is on a hitting rampage. It then becomes like you must nail your deliveries and take it in a way that an actual match is happening.”
The experience of playing in WPL 2024 will bring its own set of pressures for Priya, particularly performing in front of a huge crowd and being watched by national selectors for future national team opportunities. However, the young leg-spinner is fully prepared and eager to embrace the WPL 2024 experience.
“With WPL games happening later in Delhi, my entire family and friends will come to the stadium to watch the matches. For dealing with the pressure related to the crowd factor, I have it in my mind that I don’t want to see or hear who’s saying what or who’s doing the most shouting from the stands.”
“I just see what I have done from start to now and the expectation I have from myself is that put my best foot forward for the team whenever I get the chance and get as many wickets as possible, as the side will look at me to get scalps and stop the run-flow. So, I must do that and make the team champions.”
–IANS
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Bengaluru, Aug 22 (IANS) Shivamogga Lions’ woes continued as they suffered a 28-run defeat to the Mysore Warriors in the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday.
Mysore Warriors delivered a well-rounded performance, anchored by Karun Nair’s (45) swift knock, supported by a few other good contributions in the middle order, and highlighted by late-innings fireworks from J Suchith (22*) and Manoj Bhandage (23).
On the bowling front, Vidyadhar Patil (3/29) and Karthik CA (3/31) played crucial roles in restricting the Shivamogga Lions. Sharath HS’ (4/29) lethal spell with the ball and valiant efforts from Abhinav Manohar (46) and Nihal Ullal (46) with the bat couldn’t turn the tide in Shivamogga’s favour.
Chasing 180, Shivamogga Lions got off to a disastrous start, with Vidyadhar Patil’s lethal first over leading to the dismissals of Mohith Bangalore (2) and Dheeraj Mohan (0) in consecutive deliveries. Skipper Nihal Ullal (46) managed to crack a few early boundaries, but Hardik Raj (17) was also removed by Krishnappa Gowtham, leaving the Lions reeling at 41/3 by the end of the powerplay.
K Gowtham then engineered the run out of Rohan Naveen (11), further denting the chase. The in-form Abhinav Manohar (Impact Player) joined Ullal, and the duo breathed life into the innings, putting together a 70-run partnership in just 43 balls.
However, Ullal fell short of his first half-century of the season, leaving the Shivamogga Lions at 123/5 in 15.1 overs. Manohar also narrowly missed his milestone, holing out to K Gowtham off Karthik CA. Manohar’s 26-ball knock included four sixes and three fours, adding valuable runs to the total.
Karthik CA struck again two deliveries later, dismissing Shivraj S and leaving the Lions in deep trouble. With 47 runs needed from the final 18 balls, Ashok D tried to keep the chase alive by smashing a six and a four off Vidyadhar Patil, but perished in the same over, effectively ending Shivamogga’s prospects. Shivamogga Lions finished at 151/9 in 20 overs, enduring their sixth consecutive loss.
Batting first, Mysore Warriors faced an early challenge as Sharath HS unleashed a menacing spell. He struck in the powerplay, dismissing Karthik SU (8), and then returned in the seventh over to remove CA Karthik (30), who smashed three sixes in a 34-run stand with Karun Nair (45) and Harshil Dharmani (0).
Nair continued in fine touch and peppered the boundary with six fours and two sixes during his 23-ball stay before falling to Ashok D in the 11th over.
Kishan Bedare (17) steered the innings, forming a 28-run partnership with Nair and adding another 29 runs with Sumit Kumar (28) before being caught and bowled by Bharath Dhuri, leaving the Warriors at 116/5 in 16.1 overs. The depth of Mysore’s batting lineup came to the fore as Manoj Bhandage and J Suchith launched a late assault.
Vasuki Koushik, tasked with the 18th over, began with a six and a four from Sumit Kumar. Bhandage then took charge, hammering three consecutive sixes off Koushik in the same over before falling as Sharath’s fourth wicket in the 19th ending a blistering 23-run cameo off just seven balls. J Suchith, carried on the momentum, smashing two sixes and a four in an 8-ball flurry, pushing the Mysore Warriors to a competitive 179/7 in their 20 overs.
Brief scores: Mysore Warriors 179 for 7 in 20 overs (Karthik CA 30, Karun Nair 45, Sumit Kumar 28; Sharath HS 4-29) beat Shivamogga Lions 151/9 in 20 overs (Nihal Ullal 46, Abhinav Manohar 46 runs; Vidyadhar Patil 3-29, Karthik CA 3-31) by 28 runs.
–IANS
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Castle Rock (Colorado), Aug 22 (IANS) Indian Americans Sahith Theegala and Akshay Bhatia who failed to make it to the Top-10 last week at the St Jude Championships, the first of the three Play-offs events, will be looking for a better showing as they move towards the finale at the Tour Championships after that.
Last week Hideki Matsuyama, after leading by five at one time, had to birdie the last two holes to win the St Jude Championships. He became the first Asian to win a Play-off event and it was his 10th PGA Tour win, the highest from the continent.
Last week Bhatia was T-12, Rai was T-16 and Theegala was way behind in T-46, but all three have entered the second of the three Play-offs events.
World No, 2 Xander Schauffele, a two-time Major winner in 2024, was tied second last week with Viktor Hovland, while World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was fourth last week, though World No. 3 Rory McIlroy had a poor week in T-68 place.
Among Asians Korea’s Si Woo Kim has all to play for at the BMW Championship, the second of three FedExCup Playoffs events, in Colorado this week, with two big goals providing the drive for him to step up his game.
The four-time PGA TOUR winner tees up at Castle Pines Golf Club with the intention of breaking into the top-30 of the FedExCup points list and qualify for the Playoffs Finale, the TOUR Championship next week. Kim is presently ranked 44th after last week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship.
A strong week is also required for Kim to keep alive his hopes of earning a spot in the International Team to face the U.S. Team in the Presidents Cup in Royal Montreal next month. Currently 14th on the team roster, the top-6 after this week’s BMW Championship will secure automatic spots, with captain Mike Weir naming six more picks after the TOUR Championship.
Compatriots Sungjae Im and Byeong Hun An, who are 10th and 15th respectively on the FedExCup rankings, are virtually assured of teeing up at the TOUR Championship, which will use a staggered-scoring format based on positions after this week.
Irrespective of how his week plays out, Kim is pleased to secure his top-50 status, which guarantees starts in all eight Signature tournaments next season.
–IANS
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New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS) The packed schedule of men’s county cricket in 2025 will remain largely unchanged, despite concerns raised by the majority of players over the impact on their physical well-being.
According to a survey conducted by the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) earlier this season, more than 80 per cent of players expressed fears that the current schedule is too demanding and poses risks to their health.
However, despite these concerns, the 2025 schedule is set to continue as usual. Each county will still compete in a minimum of 14 County Championship matches, eight Metro Bank Cup fixtures, and 14 Vitality T20 Blast games. The changes for next season will be largely cosmetic, offering little relief for players concerned about the gruelling calendar.
The PCA has been advocating for adjustments that would spread out the T20 fixtures across the week, aiming to reduce tight turnarounds and introduce more consistent three-day breaks between Championship games.
“There’s definitely room for improvement in 2025 compared to 2024,” said Daryl Mitchell, the PCA’s interim chief executive, in an interview with ESPNcricinfo. “The schedule can definitely be managed better. Certainly, the Blast was very much looked at through a commercial lens, trying to squeeze as many games as possible into Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. Utilizing the majority of the week is probably the way forward, trying to spread them out to give that time for recovery, travel, and preparation.”
The T20 Blast, in particular, has been the main point of debate when it comes to scheduling. The timing of the knockout stages has been a significant concern. In 2023, these stages were held immediately after the group matches in July, allowing counties to retain their overseas players. This year, however, the knockout stages will be pushed to September, giving clubs an extended six-week window to market and sell tickets for home quarter-finals.
While these adjustments offer slight improvements, the overall schedule remains packed, leaving many players apprehensive about how much more they can push themselves physically in the long term. Despite the calls for change, it appears that any significant reduction in the number of fixtures is unlikely in the future, with commercial considerations still driving much of the decision-making process around county cricket.
–IANS
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New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS) After ending his T20I career with an elusive T20 World Cup title in Barbados, captain Rohit Sharma revealed that it was his dream to transform the team without thinking too much about the results.
Rohit-led Indian team ended the decade-long ICC title drought after beating South Africa in the final of the T20 World Cup 2024 to lift their second title in the format. In 2023, the Men in Blue failed to win the World Test Championship and 2023 ODI World Cup under Rohit’s leadership after losing to Australia in the finals.
The swashbuckling opening batter also credited the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah, former head coach Rahul Dravid and chief selector Ajit Agarkar for their support in transforming the team and creating a fearless culture in the squad.
“It was my dream to transform this team and not worry too much about stats and results and also to make sure that we create an environment where people can go out and play freely, without thinking too much. I got a lot of help from my three pillars Jay Shah, Rahul Dravid and chairman of selector Ajit Agarkar. That was critical for me to do what I did. Obviously, not to forget players who came in at different points in time and helped the team to achieve what we have achieved today,” Rohit said in a video posted by BCCI on X.
On Wednesday, Rohit was awarded ‘Men’s International Cricketer of the Year’ while Dravid was accorded the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ at Ceat Cricket Rating Awards 2023-24 in Mumbai. India’s batting stalwart Virat Kohli was named the ‘Men’s ODI Batter of the Year’ while on the bowling front, Mohammed Shami was awarded the ‘ODI Bowler of the Year’.
The 37-year-old batter finished as the second-highest run-getter in the T20 World Cup with 257 runs including three half-centuries and at a strike rate of 156.70. He played a major role in providing solid starts for the team on the slow pitches of the USA and the West Indies.
After lifting the title, Rohit joined Kohli to announce his retirement from the T20I. With 4,231 runs, Rohit is the leading run-getter in the format behind his teammate Kohli (4188 runs). Both batters will continue to play the other formats of the game. The duo last featured for India in the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka earlier this month.
–IANS
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Gotemba (Japan), Aug 22 (IANS) A year after being the youngest ever to make the cut at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, Kartik Singh, now 14 years of age, is the highest ranked among the four Indians set to take part in the 15th AAC to be held in Japan.
As of date Kartik is the highest ranked Indian at 199 while the other three players to have received the invitation for this prestigious event are Krishnav Nikhil Chopra and Vedant Sirohi, both past participants in the event and Rakshit Dahiya will be in the four-player team.
Kartik Singh has also been named to the 2024 Junior Presidents Cup team. A regular winner in junior and amateur events, Kartik will spearhead the Indian challenge.
Apart from India’s Kartik Singh, there are seven others named to the 2024 Junior Presidents Cup International Team. They are Joshua Bai, Warut Boonrod, Xihuan Chang, Rayhan Latief, Khanh Hung Le, Thangwin Lee, Anh Minh Ngyuyen,
As many as 113 players have been confirmed for the Championship, which will be held October 3-6, 2024, at Taiheiyo Club Gotemba in Gotemba, Japan. A full list of confirmed players can be found. The field will be 120 with a few more names to be added by the Organisers.
India’s best ever placing has been second place by Rayhan Thomas, who was runner-up in Sentosa, Singapore in 2018. The Dubai-based Indian Rayhan has since turned professional, and last week won his first pro title on India’s Professional Tour of India Tour.
Krishnav, who plays college golf in the US, is the son of former India cricketer turned commentator, Nikhil Chopraa, who often takes the role of a caddie for his son.
Created in 2009, the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship was established by the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), The R&A and the Masters Tournament to further develop amateur golf in the Asia-Pacific region.
The champion will receive an invitation to compete in the 2025 Masters Tournament and The 153rd Open, while the runner(s)-up will gain a place in Final Qualifying for The Open.
The confirmed list which has players from 38 APGC member organizations is highlighted by defending champion Jasper Stubbs of Australia and four players representing China inside the top 100 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking: Wenyi Ding (No. 4), Xihuan Chang (No. 36), Xiangyun Bai (No. 61) and Paul Chang (No. 97).
Ding finished runner-up to Stubbs in the 2023 Asia-Pacific Amateur while Xihuan Chang reached the semi-finals of the U.S. Junior Amateur in July.
Other top-100 participants include Vietnam’s Anh Minh Nguyen (No. 68) and Japan’s Rintaro Nakano (No. 78).
Notable past competitors include 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, a two-time winner of the Asia-Pacific Amateur, and 2022 Open champion Cameron Smith. Over the Championship’s 14-year history, the Championship has served as a springboard to some of the world’s top players, including Matsuyama, Smith, Cameron Davis, Ryan Fox, Si Woo Kim, Satoshi Kodaira, Kyoung-Hoon Lee, Min Woo Lee, Keita Nakajima and C.T. Pan. Collectively, alumni of the Asia-Pacific Amateur have gone on to win 27 tournaments on the PGA Tour to date and more than 130 across the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour.
As the host nation, Japan will lead the list of up to 43 APGC member nations represented with 10 players in this year’s field. A player from Japan has won four of the 14 editions of the Championship (Matsuyama/2010, 2011; Takumi Kanaya/2018; Nakajima/2021).
–IANS
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