WPL 2025: An Opportunity for Amanjot Kaur to Shine for MI in Pooja's Absence
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Synopsis
New Delhi, Feb 14 (NationPress) Pooja Vastrakar's injury has ruled her out of WPL 2025, providing a chance for Amanjot Kaur to step in for Mumbai Indians. With her recent performances, Amanjot is poised for a significant comeback.
Key Takeaways
- Pooja Vastrakar is out of WPL 2025 due to injury.
- Amanjot Kaur has a chance to fill her role.
- She scored 97 runs in the Senior Women’s One Day Challenger Trophy.
- Amanjot aims to make a strong comeback after her injury.
- MI might field both Amanjot and Akshita Maheshwari.
New Delhi, Feb 14 (NationPress) With fast-bowling all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar, a vital player for Mumbai Indians, sidelined for the 2025 season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) due to an injury that has kept her off the field since October 2024, this opens the door for Amanjot Kaur to rise for the franchise.
Amanjot, who has been part of MI since the WPL's inception, has participated in six ODIs and 12 T20Is for India. Despite returning from a lengthy injury break, MI’s coaching staff can anticipate Amanjot stepping up to fill the gap left by Pooja’s absence.
During this year's Senior Women’s One Day Challenger Trophy in Chennai, Amanjot showcased her skills by scoring 97 runs and taking six wickets for Team E. “WPL 2025 is crucial for Amanjot, particularly as she returns from injury. After her recovery, she performed admirably in the Challengers, excelling in both bowling and batting,” stated Nagesh Gupta, Amanjot’s coach, in an interview with IANS from his academy in Zirakpur, Punjab.
Although MI has a comparable replacement for Pooja in young seam-bowling all-rounder Akshita Maheshwari, who claimed 23 wickets in the Under-23 Women's One Day Trophy last season, there remains a possibility of featuring both her and Amanjot in the playing eleven.
As Gupta noted, Amanjot had limited opportunities to bat and bowl in the initial two seasons due to the presence of high-caliber Indian and overseas players in MI’s squad. This is evident from her scoring just 81 runs in 11 batting innings for MI, while bowling only 30 balls without taking wickets across both seasons.
Amanjot’s single remarkable performance in MI colors was scoring 42 runs in her team’s loss to Delhi Capitals in WPL 2024’s opening match in New Delhi, where she astonished everyone by reverse-scooping Shikha Pandey past short third. Gupta disclosed that this was a shot she developed herself during practice.
“I never taught her how to execute a reverse scoop. She created this shot independently. Later, I inquired about it. She mentioned she anticipated that Shikha would bowl in that manner,” he explained.
“Players are refining their skills on various levels these days, inventing new shots, which is commendable. The advantage of having someone like Amanjot is her exceptional batting skills and being an outstanding fielder. She is a complete package, and hopefully, she will excel,” he concluded.
