Our failures don’t outline us, says Sneh Rana as Gujarat Giants seems to be to show tide in WPL 2024

CHENNAI

Team in disaster? Call Sneh Rana. Remember India’s one-off Test in 2021 towards England in Bristol? The host had enforced the follow-on and put India underneath the pump, trying set to chase a miniscule goal to shut out a well-known win at house. But in its path stood Sneh. Her defiant unbeaten 80 and dogged 104-run stand with Taniya Bhatia slowly snuffed out any ounce of pleasure the English facet had coming into the ultimate day of play. The duo batted India to a preventing draw, a end result that vindicated her addition to the nationwide arrange after seven lengthy years of watching from the sidelines, first on account of poor kind after which an harm to her knee.

Over the years since, Sneh has been the one to show to for firefighting in crunch conditions. Last yr’s Women’s Premier League was no exception. Playing for Gujarat Giants, the staff hit an enormous roadblock when skipper Beth Mooney needed to limp off the sphere after an harm to her calf in after going through simply three deliveries within the chase towards eventual champion Mumbai Indians. Sneh was the proper bridge between a facet full of Australian stars and gifted homegrown expertise.

Balancing act

“Leadership is not new for me as I have led sides before. The challenge was to lead different players from different countries and backgrounds,” Sneh informed Sportstar forward of the WPL’s second version. Sneh has led the Railways efficiently and being part of staff thinktanks throughout the spectrum on account of her expertise and adaptableness.

“I had to identify their strengths and use that in our strategy and quickly too. Learnings from the first season were largely about adaptability and what kind of changes I can bring in a format as short as T20s. Our opponents had teams with a diverse set of players, some of whom we’ve never played against at any level. So how to prepare for them and do so successfully was something I learnt so much about last time,” she added.

Not a lot went the Giants’ approach in 2023 because the outfit completed useless final. Frustrating outcomes and an harm to her fingers however, Sneh’s confidence by no means wavered as she carried her staff by a attempting first try within the event. The expertise has helped the staff keep pragmatic as they gear up for a contemporary begin.

“Victory and defeat doesn’t have to be linked to our confidence. The team environment was always positive. Our failures didn’t define us. As a team, we’re taking things one day at a time. We’re not thinking about the final or the knockouts or getting ahead of ourselves by any means. We’ll take it in parts,” she stated.

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One step at a time

Sneh’s manner betrays no feelings. She’s the one all the time bringing the unit collectively, choreographing dance steps to the newest tracks on the market and making buddies amongst teammates and opponents alike. The embers of disappointment or remorse from the WPL expertise in Mumbai, if any, had been doused by a reasonably constructive yr after it. She helped her home sides to a couple title triumphs and completed the yr with a participant of the match award from India’s first-ever Test triumph towards Australia.

Her performances bode properly for a staff heading right into a T20 World Cup a number of months after the WPL ends. Sneh has not been a part of T20I combine because the semifinal of the 2023 ODI World Cup towards Australia, the place India suffered a heartbreaking five-run loss in Cape Town.

“The only thing in my control is the month I have in the WPL. I can’t control the way selections happen or anything else beyond what I can do with bat and ball so my focus is going to be on the same. If I do well, potentially, the results of it will be good. So whether I make it in the World Cup squad or not is something I’m leaving to time,” Sneh stated with a smile.

Aged 27 through the Test towards England three years in the past, the tag of being a possible late bloomer got here Sneh’s approach. She is aware of the perils of age being one’s first identifier in an ecosystem that’s full of gamers bursting onto the scene of their teenagers. This version of the WPL, nonetheless, has plenty of gamers gearing up for his or her event debut who belong to the 30-and-above bracket.

“First of all, hats off to their dedication. If you’re dedicatedly pursuing something without recognition and still passionate to keep at it, it is definitely praiseworthy. Age really isn’t a criteria we should use anymore. When players are fit, that is all that should matter. We have so many examples. Look at Ekta Bisht. Even at 38, she is so quick on the field and is a cut above the rest,” Sneh underlined.

She additionally finds herself in acquainted territory with wholesome illustration from the Indian home scene within the event.

“I like the fact that so many domestic players are coming in to these spheres. I like interacting with these players because they come with a lot of confidence. They are constantly asking us questions about how to improve and what they can do differently in certain situations. Interacting with these players, you can breathe easy that the future of Indian cricket is very bright,” she signed off.