Sajana proved she’s ready for this stage with just one shot: Reema Malhotra

Sajeevan Sajana hit a last-ball six to help Mumbai Indians beat Delhi Capitals by four wickets and get their campaign off to a winning start in the WPL 2024 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on February 23. JioCinema and Sports18 WPL experts Parthiv Patel, Anjum Chopra and Reema Malhotra analysed the key performances on ‘Match Centre Live’.

Excerpts:

Parthiv Patel, JioCinema and Sports18 WPL expert, on Harmanpreet Kaur’s performance: “You have to praise how the Mumbai Indians were batting. When you’re under pressure, your most experienced player must step up, and that’s what Harmanpreet Kaur did. You could see her experience shine through when she was running between the wickets. Harmanpreet showed her ability and how capable she is at absorbing pressure.”

Also read: If players do well in WPL, then it means they're kind of ready for international cricket: Harmanpreet Kaur

Patel on Yastika Bhatia’s 57-run knock: “Last year, she couldn’t score half centuries. This year, she’s done it in the first innings, and it’ll give her a lot of confidence. Even after the early wickets of Hayley Matthews and Nat Sciver-Brunt, she continued to play shots all over the ground. Last year, most of her shots were on the off-side. The way she batted, she played the spinners well and played with a calm mind. She played a mature innings and the 50 runs will add to her confidence.”

Reema Malhotra on Sajeevan Sajana's match-winning six: “She is fearless, that’s her playing style. She always plays straight and employs long shots, and she came ready today. When your mindset is clear and you believe in your ability to hit big shots, all you need is determination. She showed that many players would go unnoticed in the domestic circuit in the past, but the WPL has filled that gap. If you’re being overlooked, you have the opportunity to shine here. Thanks to the Mumbai Indians for unearthing this talent. She’s been at the door for years, she was taking wickets, scoring runs, and pulling off outstanding catches. Today she proved she's ready for this stage with just one shot.”

Also Read: Who is Sajeevan Sajana? - Everything you need to know

Anjum Chopra on Yastika Bhatia’s innings: “It was very impressive. You come into a new season of the WPL and know that you’ll be playing most of the games, opening the batting with Hayley Matthews. What kind of performance do you look for? This kind of performance. The stroke straight down the ground was special, it’s never easy. When you’re standing straight, there’s no trigger movement for her. She doesn’t go back, she doesn’t go forward, she’s absolutely still. She knows if she’s hitting through the line, that’s where the strength comes in. It takes a lot to hit the ball straight and I am happy to see she’s put in the hard yards.”

Also read: Sajana is Kieron Pollard of Mumbai Indians women’s team: Yastika Bhatia