"How will everyone open?" - Aakash Chopra on Gujarat Giants' problem heading into WPL 2023
Aakash Chopra feels the Gujarat Giants will face a huge conundrum while picking their batting order in the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2023.
The Giants spent ₹11.95 crore to assemble a full-strength 18-member squad, including six overseas professionals, at the WPL auction earlier this month. Ashleigh Gardner (₹3.2 crore) and Beth Mooney (₹2 crore) were the only players for whom they paid more than a crore.
On the "AakashVani" show on JioCinema, Chopra highlighted that the Gujarat Giants have a plethora of top-order batters, elaborating:
"The batting contingent they have assembled are all top-order batters - Sophia Dunkley, Sabbineni Meghana and Beth Mooney. Ashleigh Gardner and Deandra Dottin want to bat up the order and Harleen Deol also cannot play down the order. So how will everyone open?"
The former Indian opener feels the Ahmedabad-based franchise will have an uphill task in formulating their batting order, stating:
"You have got one opener in the form of Beth Mooney. Along with her, if you want, you can make Sophia Dunkley open. How will you make the batting order of this team because their batting order is slightly beyond my understanding? I am seeing this as a clear problem."
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The Gujarat Giants might opt to open with Sabbineni Meghana alongside Beth Mooney. Either Deandra Dottin or Sophia Dunkley could bat at No. 3, depending on their four overseas picks in the playing XI.
"I don't see any other captain apart from Ashleigh Gardner" - Aakash Chopra on Gujarat Giants' likely skipper
Chopra sees Ashleigh Gardner as the Gujarat Giants' likely skipper in WPL 2023, observing:
"Who will be the captain? That's the big question. In my opinion, it is a foregone conclusion, whether you get the confirmation or not. I don't see any other captain apart from Ashleigh Gardner."
The cricketer-turned-commentator feels Mooney is the only other captaincy option in the franchise's squad, explaining:
"You can neither make Harleen Deol the captain nor Sneh Rana. I don't see any other current Indian player in this team. Sophia Dunkley, Deandra Dottin - who might not play all matches as well. If you spent so much money on Ashleigh Gardner, it will be either her or Beth Mooney."
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Chopra found it very interesting that a Mithali Raj-mentored franchise went into the auction with an overseas captain in mind. He also sees the former Indian captain's imprint on the Gujarat Giants' local contingent, with Railways players primarily being preferred.