Navi Mumbai, Jan 14 (NationPress) Head coach of the Gujarat Giants, Michael Klinger, recognized that his team faced significant repercussions due to frequent fielding errors, yet he emphasized the squad's strong dedication and preparation remains intact despite their loss to the Mumbai Indians.

The Giants encountered their first defeat of the WPL 2026 season, as an unusually sloppy fielding performance negated much of the positive effort displayed earlier in the tournament.

MI captain Harmanpreet was let off the hook three times, while numerous misfields and overthrows added to their woes, marking a stark departure from the high standards they had maintained in their first two games.

In assessing the team's performance, Klinger pointed out that the Giants were generally solid throughout most of the innings before things fell apart towards the end.

“We performed admirably in our initial games. Up until the first 14-15 overs, we fielded well, but then those dropped catches surfaced during the final five-six overs,” Klinger remarked during the post-match press briefing.

He acknowledged the significant cost of such errors against elite players, but refrained from criticizing his players’ dedication.

“It's challenging when you afford a player as accomplished as Harmanpreet three opportunities, yet I can't fault our effort on the field or our training sessions,” Klinger stated.

“The players have been diligently working with our fielding coach Sarah Taylor and all the other coaches. So, there are no concerns regarding effort. It’s tough when you drop catches from good players, and we will continue to focus on improving. We have trained intensively on our fielding and have had two commendable performances along with one that didn’t meet our standards.”

Earlier, the Giants made a strategic change to their batting lineup after all-rounder Anushka Sharma was ruled out due to a hand injury sustained during the victory over the Delhi Capitals. With Anushka unavailable, Kanika Ahuja was elevated to No. 3, a notable shift since she had batted as low as No. 8 in the previous match and hadn’t played in the season opener.

This decision proved to be fruitful. Following the early dismissal of Sophie Devine, Ahuja launched a counterattack, scoring a rapid 35 runs off 18 balls, hitting four boundaries and two sixes, thus injecting energy into the innings.

Klinger explained the reasoning behind the adjustment and commended Ahuja’s execution.

“We had a few alternatives for that No. 3 position. Once we realized Anushka would be unavailable for a game or two, we believed Kanika had been training exceptionally well. She is another left-hander who can handle both pace and spin effectively, and I thought she played extraordinarily today,” Klinger noted.

He added that having clarity regarding her role allowed her to play freely.

“We discussed with her the importance of playing strong shots without trying to over-hit the ball, and I felt she executed that brilliantly against both pace and spin, finding gaps effectively.”

Ahuja started her innings with remarkable vigor, reaching 20 runs off just nine balls by the end of the sixth over, marking her first appearance at No. 3 in the WPL, with her previous highest batting position being No. 4 in a 2023 match against the UP Warriorz.

With Anushka unlikely to return until the Baroda leg begins on January 19, Ahuja is anticipated to maintain her position for the Giants’ next match as they seek to recover and enhance their fielding standards.