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Previewing the upcoming TATA WPL Season on Disney+ Hotstar, Aakash Chopra spoke about Smriti Mandhana and Ellyse Perry’s importance to their team: “Smriti Mandhana is in red-hot form, coming off a successful campaign where she led her team to the trophy. Once again, they will be heavily dependent on her. If Mandhana and Ellyse Perry can maintain the form they’ve shown over the last twelve to fourteen months, both will have a huge responsibility on their shoulders. When you have a player of Ellyse Perry’s calibre, the expectation is that she will step up and once again take the team closer to their goal.”
Chopra also opined on Deandra Dottin’s current form and Gujarat Giants’ struggles: “Deandra Dottin is a quality player—there’s no doubt about that. But the reality is that she may be past her prime. I’m being very ruthless here because Gujarat Giants aren’t performing well, and they’re relying heavily on a player who may not be at the top of her game.”
He further spoke on Gujarat Giants’ squad-building approach and lack of experienced Indian players: “There are seven Indian players in the team, but they don’t have a top-tier, experienced Indian player—that’s where I think they got it wrong. In the first auction, they needed to secure more experienced Indian players, but they spent a lot of money on overseas recruits. They did get some really good ones, but by the time they realized the need for more Indian talent, they had already run out of funds.”
Chopra gave his take on UP Warriorz’s dilemma regarding the overseas options available for selection: “They have Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Ecclestone, Alana King, and Grace Harris, along with Chamari Athapaththu. They have the resources and options, and it will be interesting to see who they choose to field from their overseas contingent.”
Catch all the action from the TATA WPL 2025 from February 14, 2025, Friday, LIVE on Disney+ Hotstar and the Star Sports Network
