Gujarat Giants will have to make do without young all-rounder Anushka Sharma for what the club call a “short period” following a minor injury to her right hand. The knock came while she was patrolling the boundary during the Women’s Premier League fixture against Delhi Capitals.
She sat out Tuesday’s meeting with Mumbai Indians, her hand wrapped in strapping as she chatted with team-mates on the outfield. The franchise sounded optimistic in a brief update, saying they hope to have her “back soon”.
A fuller medical bulletin from the Giants added: “Anushka is under the close supervision of the team’s medical staff and is progressing well,” a Giants statement said. “She will be a big miss for the side, but her health and long-term well-being remain our priority.”
Those words reflect both the player’s early impact and the hole she leaves. On debut against UP Warriorz the 20-year-old rattled 44 from 30 balls at No.3, sharing a 103-run partnership with captain Ash Gardner that effectively settled the contest. She followed up against DC with a skittish ten-ball cameo – a six, a four, and one flying save on the rope that robbed Jemimah Rodrigues of a certain maximum.
Sharma bowled off-spin in domestic cricket but has not yet been called upon with the ball in this tournament. Even so, her batting and athleticism pushed her auction price to INR 45 lakh, four-and-a-half times her base figure, after interest from three teams.
The Indore-born right-hander led Madhya Pradesh age-group sides and featured in the BCCI Challenger Trophy, where her uncomplicated power first caught wider attention. Former India batter Snehal Pradhan, speaking on the WPL broadcast, reckoned “her bat swing is already Test-match ready – the rest will come with time.”
For now, though, the Giants must reshuffle their middle order and fielding plans. With four matches in the next eleven days, the medical staff have a delicate balance: rush her back and risk aggravation, or keep faith with existing cover.
Coach Michael Klinger struck a pragmatic tone after the Mumbai game. “Ideally you want Anushka available yesterday,” he smiled, “but the schedule’s hectic. If she needs a breather, she gets it. Simple.”
A minor setback, then, yet one worth monitoring. The Giants hope it stays that way; Sharma’s start suggests she’ll be central to any late surge up the table once that hand allows her to grip the bat again.
