3 reasons why Gujarat Giants will find it difficult to qualify for the WPL 2023 Playoffs
The Gujarat Giants haven't enjoyed the best of starts to the inaugural edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL).
GG have only managed to win one of their four games so far, and are second from the bottom in the points table.
Their only win came against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), who are yet to win a game in this tournament. With games coming in thick and fast, the Gujarat Giants will need to turn things around quickly, otherwise, their campaign could be over rather quickly.
With only five teams in the competition, the top three sides will qualify for the playoffs. As it stands, the Mumbai Indians (MI) and the Delhi Capitals (DC) seem to be in the driver's seat to take the top two spots, while the UP Warriorz have been holding their own as well.
If the two sides at the bottom of the table don't sort out their issues quickly, they will have to kiss their playoff hopes goodbye.
On that note, we will focus on the Gujarat Giants and take a look at three reasons why they will find it difficult to qualify for the WPL 2023 playoffs:
#1 Injuries
It has been a campaign to forget for the Gujarat Giants in terms of the injuries that have plagued their side since the start of the tournament.
Deandra Dottin was ruled out of the tournament before it even began, with Kim Garth being announced as her replacement. Their captain Beth Mooney was injured in the opening game of the tournament and has been ruled out of the tournament since as well.
Considering she was going to be vital for them at the top of the order, her injury was a massive blow to the side.
Sneh Rana took over the leadership role seamlessly in the next couple of games, but even the all-rounder isn't at a hundred percent fitness after suffering an injury a couple of games ago.
With the captain ruled out of the tournament and the vice-captain struggling with her fitness, the Gujarat Giants have been left with more questions than answers in this WPL campaign so far.
#2 Lack of wicket-taking options
At the auction, the Gujarat Giants seemed to have constructed a side that could have a nice mix of international and domestic players.
Not only that, but the team also has enough all-rounders to make it a potentially dangerous side that bat deep like the Mumbai Indians.
However, their bowling unit has had to compromise on that front. Annabel Sutherland is the only all-rounder to provide an option as a fast bowler, and she doesn't guarantee four overs in a T20 game.
Mansi Joshi, Georgia Wareham, and Tanuja Kanwar have done well in glimpses but haven't clicked as a collective unit either.
In a situation like this, there seems to be an over-reliance on Ashleigh Gardner, the most expensive overseas player at the WPL 2023 Auction.
Unfortunately, for her, things haven't really gone to plan. The team has a few other bowling options, most notably in Dayalan Hemalatha, and some youngsters on the bench like Hurley Gala and Shabnim Shakil, but haven't given them a go in this tournament so far.
#3 Lack of clarity in their starting XI
With this being the inaugural edition of the tournament, there was always bound to be some uncertainty about the teams and how they would line up. While some sides have found it easier to adjust to this, some are still struggling to work out their best combination.
Injuries haven't helped Gujarat's cause in this case, of course, but the lack of clarity in their starting eleven has been a concern. Their most baffling decision came in their previous game when they decided to drop Sophia Dunkley for Laura Wolvaardt, who was announced as a replacement for Mooney.
Dunkley won the Player of the Match award in the previous game, scoring a destructive 28-ball-65 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore. The England player was unceremoniously dropped in the next game, in a decision that took a few by surprise.
The Gujarat thinktank also had to draft Sushma Verma into the side as the keeper, which does affect their balance a little bit.
Due to unfortunate injuries, the coaching staff that lacks some experience hasn't been able to work out their best eleven so far. And with time running out in this short tournament, it might cost them a playoff spot.