Navi Mumbai, Jan 13 (NationPress) Head coach Abhishek Nayar clarified that the adjustment in UP Warriorz' batting order was influenced by the strategies of their opponents after Kiran Navgire was relegated to No. 4. He openly admitted that having Harleen Deol open against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) was a misstep, stating, "I take full responsibility for that decision."

Harleen’s recent performances have shown her struggles with the bat. In the season opener against Gujarat Giants, she batted in the middle order and was dismissed for a two-ball duck.

In the latest match against RCB, she opened the innings alongside skipper Meg Lanning, but could only muster 11 runs off 14 balls before being dismissed by Lauren Bell.

"At that moment, we believed that Harleen could provide some value during the powerplay due to the moving ball. While she is technically sound, it did not pan out today. I recognize it was the wrong choice. I accept full responsibility for this. Our intention was to ensure stability at the start and then leverage power as the pitch improved, anticipating some swing initially," Nayar explained during the post-match press conference.

Navgire managed just 1 run off 4 balls in UPW's chase of 208 against Gujarat Giants, while Deol fell for a duck in two balls. Nevertheless, Phoebe Litchfield made a strong contribution with a score of 78, alongside lower-order performances, which kept UPW competitive, ultimately losing by just ten runs.

An impressive cameo came from Shweta Sehrawat, who scored 25 runs off 17 balls with three sixes and a four. Batting at No. 6, she hit her first delivery, bowled by Renuka Singh, for a six over extra cover.

Regarding Sehrawat, who naturally plays in the top order but was positioned in the middle with wicketkeeping duties, Nayar remarked, "For her career, this is a significant step. Equipping her with the gloves is similar to a KL Rahul strategy, enhancing her prospects of joining the India squad, particularly given the limited options available."

"She is a phenomenal batter with immense potential, power, and flair. She has been honing certain shots, which we’ve observed during practice matches and her training. It was great to see a glimpse of that in an actual game. I have high expectations for her this season as I genuinely believe she can represent India and excel," he added.

During the match against RCB, Deol faced challenges against Lauren Bell, enduring nine dot balls in her 14-ball innings before misplaying a shot to mid-off. Navgire scored five off three balls before being dismissed at deep midwicket.

This led to a collapse where UPW lost four wickets for just 11 runs, dropping to 50/5. Deepti Sharma and Deandra Dottin then played cautiously, taking the score to 143/5.

"In today’s game, discussing the batting order becomes secondary as we lost wickets in clusters. We had clear roles in mind, but when so many wickets fall, the concept of roles becomes irrelevant. You simply need to go out and play," Nayar stated.

"In T20 cricket, the numbers of players beyond the top three are not critical. The top three were determined based on the opposing team. While I believe in assigning specific roles, today’s strategy did not yield the desired outcome. That does not mean Harleen or Kiran cannot perform; it just wasn't their day. Had she scored a century, we’d be having a different discussion," Nayar concluded.