are ready to help UP Warriorz capture the title
This season, the Women’s Premier League will be held at two new sites, and the star spinners are eager to impress both on and off the field.
Sophie Ecclestone is an unstoppable force in cricket. Last year, while warming up for a The Hundred encounter, the English spinner dislocated her right shoulder, costing Manchester Originals her season’s services. She underwent surgery for the problem in September, but returned a few months later with the English squad that toured India for three T20Is and a one-off Test.
England lost the Test by an overwhelming 347 runs, despite winning the T20I leg 2-1. One thing connected the two defeats it suffered: a subpar Ecclestone. Despite her erratic rhythm, she managed to bowl 41.3 overs in the four-day Test. She lost five wickets in total while giving up 167 runs. Her economy rates in the two T20I series matches that England won were 3.75 (three wickets) and 3.90 (two scalps). Despite collecting two wickets, Ecclestone gave up forty runs in the last Twenty20 international defeat.
Until then, I hadn’t played a lot of cricket. I consider myself extremely fortunate as a player since I was able to start playing without any training. Before she begins her second term in the Women’s Premier League with the UP Warriorz, Ecclestone tells Sportstar that her mind simply needed to be in the proper place.
It was intriguing for me to play in front of a large crowd and in match settings once more for the India series. It was good that the crew trusted me, she says with a playful smile.
Being on the sidelines was a difficult idea for a fighter with her level of ruthlessness. She has spent the last six months having to do that quite a bit. “My three-month recovery was quite extensive. I took some time off to rest my shoulder as well, and by the end, I was ready to go,” she says.
She wanted to strengthen both shoulders, so the time off was essential. The Chester-born all-rounder worked on her arm movements and power six days a week in the gym.
Ecclestone enjoyed an extended Christmas holiday with her family following the India tour, which allowed her body to recover more before a demanding international and franchise-league season.
“It was great, but somewhere in the middle, I got really bored and was itching to bowl again,” she says with a smirk.
And she will bowl again, for a team full of colorful personalities, including one of her strongest adversaries, India’s Deepti Sharma.
“Deepti is a terrific player, and it’s interesting to watch her perform. I can’t wait to pair up with her, be the team’s spin twins, and deliver some unforgettable performances in India,” Ecclestone said.
The Agra-born right-arm o-break bowler shares her teammate’s enthusiasm and discusses how close this group has developed over the last year.
“We were eager for the season to begin. “We enjoy each other’s company very much,” she says.
“Sophie and I have always strived to leverage our skills. We focus less on what the batter brings to the table than we do on our stock balls. We do simple things and focus on communication during the game, remaining awake to the match circumstances and working together to maximize any individual influence,” she explains.
The Alyssa Healy-led team overcame a tough season to reach the knockout stage the previous time. Ecclestone hopes things aren’t that chaotic, especially because she believes the squad has more to prove.
“It will be great to get the Warriorz to the final. We don’t always get the recognition we deserve because we’re one of the smaller teams. We are the underdogs, and it would be great to make it to the finals and prove everyone wrong,” she says.
Deepti is pleased to be part of the league’s expansion into two new cities.
“I heard cheers going my way in Mumbai. One chorus went “Humari beti kaisi ho?” Deepti Sharma jaisi ho” (How should our daughter be? Like Deepti Sharma). That felt great. We’re playing in new venues, which allows us to reach out to a whole new audience. “We can’t wait,” she adds.
