WPL 2025: Expectations Will Be There From The Time I Take The Field For The Playoffs, Says Amanjot Kaur

WPL 2025: Expectations will be there from the time I take the field for the playoffs, says Amanjot K (Image Source: IANS)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: In the absence of Pooja Vastrakar, Amanjot Kaur has stepped up to be a clutch player and fill that void for Mumbai Indians in the 2025 Women’s Premier League (WPL).

Coming in at nervous moments, Amanjot has contributed in all three departments of the game – amassing 114 runs with the bat, picking five wickets and taking two catches – in the competition so far.

Ahead of MI’s clash in the Eliminator against the Gujarat Giants at the Brabourne Stadium, Amanjot spoke exclusively to IANS about her season, impactful performance against Royal Challengers Bengaluru and why her coach Nagesh Gupta will be restless in Thursday’s knockout clash.

Q. With the WPL Playoffs coming up, how do you plan to manage the expectations of people from you?

A. Expectations will be there from the time I go on the field during the playoffs and I don't have any pressure about it. I really like cricket as a sport. It's okay if I get something, and even it's okay if I don't get it. At least I'm getting to play, and doing what I like - that's the biggest thing for me.

Q. You are in MI and Kashvee Gautam is in GG. So how’s its like for coach Nagesh Gupta when MI takes on GG?

A. Nagesh sir watches all the matches from the beginning to post-match presentation. He waits for me and Kashvee (Gautam) to come and talk to him. He tells us everything before he goes to sleep. He starts and ends his day with us. We are like a family for him outside of coaching. We have a good bond and it is still going on. There is a lot of progress from when we started under him.

Earlier, we used to talk and say ‘yes sir, no sir’. Now the talk is, what we think and what is going on. We have seen all of it evolve as Nagesh sir has seen us grow up and we are more special to him. When it comes to GG v MI, Nagesh sir's heart rate is skyrocketing. He already says that my BP is going to increase.

He knows that he will have to take tension of batting and bowling when Kashvee’s games are on. But when it comes to GG-MI clashes, Nagesh sir can't sit at peace whether it’s in terms of batting, bowling and fielding and he can’t decide who he wants to go to with. But sir feels more happy to see us playing rather than the performances that we put on the field after both of us previously having a lot of injuries.

Q. Before this WPL season began, what was the thought behind your preparations for the tournament?

A. It was nothing specific. I knew that I was coming after a long break. So, I just wanted to enjoy the cricket, as well as the atmosphere and environment of the WPL. As such, it wasn't like I had to do this and that.

Even if I wouldn’t have got so many good performances, I was very happy to be on the ground, and living with the feeling that at least I am getting to play and enjoy the crowd. This environment is giving me a chance to live all of that again, so, just felt grateful and blessed ahead of the start.

Q. One of your most impactful performances was that spell of 3-22 and hitting 34 not out in the chase against RCB. Coming to your bowling, what were the thoughts in your mind before starting your spell?

A. Our bowling line-up was such that Shubs (Shabnim Ismail) and Nat (Sciver-Brunt) had controlled it very well. So, I just had to take their partnership forward. I didn't want to leak too many runs. My plan was very simple, as pacers were getting a lot of help from the wicket, so, I had to keep it on stump to stump line.

The pressure was on them because it was easy for them to chase in Bangalore. So, they had the pressure to set the target, and we knew that if we bowl the dot balls, they would make a mistake on their end. So, our plan was simple - keep it on the stumps, go for dot balls, and don’t leak boundaries. Like, giving one run instead of the boundary was a win-win for us.

Taking Richa's wicket was a turning point at that time, because the way she can create a disaster for the other team, they didn't have a batter like her who could explode this way. Plus, Perry and Richa are a very dangerous combination. At that time, when I took Richa's wicket, Perry's boundaries were cut down. She knew that she would have to stay till the end if he wanted 160-180.

Q. In the chase, MI were in a tricky phase as Harmanpreet Kaur and Sajeevan Sajana fell. From 19 off 21 balls, you exploded and hit Kanika Ahuja for two sixes to seal the deal for MI. Talk to us about the mindset while finishing the match.

A. I had to finish that match. When I came out to bat, I was on one run in eight balls at one point. After that, I had to stay on that wicket. It had a bit of a spongy bounce and bowlers were getting good help. (Georgia) Wareham was bowling very well, and it was her second last bowler, where I knew that if I would play out this over, we can get a couple of big overs, and easily catch up with run rate.

When Harman di is with you, you don't have to do much. The first match we lost to DC, Nat was set at that time, and I tried to charge down, and because of that, we were all out. From there, we were one over short in the batting. So, if I had played till the end, the scenario would have been different.

In Bengaluru, I didn't want to repeat that mistake again. So, I wanted to take it to the end as much as possible and the result would be seen result later. But at least, it was very important for me to be there and make the team win.

If someone else would have bowled 19th over, I would have had to take charge in that over, because I didn't want to take it to the 20th over. In my mind, it was that if possible, the 19th over should be of 10-12 runs, so that we don't take the whole game to the 20th over.

Q. How much your cricketing life has changed for you ever since WPL came into the picture?

A. I have played my entire domestic career as a top-order batter. Then when I made my debut, it was new for me to play in that order. After that, I got an idea about what my role is going to be for India and how I have to prepare for it.

So, WPL has helped me a lot to evolve in that role, because I get batting in the same order in WPL and I have to play the same role for India. So, I have to learn as much as I can from here. I have to get used to finishing those matches so that I can do that work for India, and WPL has played a very big role in that.

Because of WPL, we can sit and ask international players that when you started your career, what was that phase? How did they evolve? What helped them to complete a season of playing cricket and how did they managed it? To learn all of that, I mean, if there was no WPL, we would have to wait for an international series.

Like, if you wanted to talk to (Ellyse) Perry, or Nat, you don't know whether the international series would come or would it be once in a year. With an Indian player, you can ask them anytime. But the experience that foreigners can give you, you can only know and get that after meeting them.

Q. On many occasions, you have been electric with your fielding saves, especially outside 30-yard circle. Can you talk about the work you have put in enhancing your fielding skills?

A. I have always liked fielding and growing up, I saw less of women's cricket and a lot of men's cricket. Due to that, in men's cricket, the aggression and grit in fielding showed by Ravindra Jadeja, and Virat Kohli, and the way they turned the matches in India's favour, felt so good to watch.

When you actually do that in a match, you realise later that it was a turning point - like I did a run out or the catch I took was crucial. So, if you are not good at batting or bowling, you have done something great in fielding. If I have to choose from all three aspects, then my favourite part is fielding.

Sometimes you don't have runs, or phases in bowling aren’t great, but fielding is such a thing that you can turn the match in favour of your team at any time. Growing up, we used to have a five-point game, and the boys used to deliver side-arm throws so hard. I also had a strong desire to throw side-arm throws, even if it hurt my arms would ache for two days.

But that has made a huge difference in my throwing, because it is almost impossible to match the boys’ standards. But if you get around it, you stand out among the girls. That's why my standards are getting better in fielding. Playing other sports helps you in some way.

Q. When a match is game, how do you analyse your performances in preparing for the next game?

A. I really like to watch the highlights. If I play a match, I really feel like watching its highlights again. Until I don't feel sleepy or my eyes don't get tired I like to watch the highlights. There, I like watching myself in action. I have to wait for the replay, but it comes very late, so till then I watch highlights.

Q. When a match is game, how do you analyse your performances in preparing for the next game?

Article Source: IANS