Gujarat Giants expect to be without rising all-rounder Anushka Sharma for only a “short period” after she hurt her right hand while fielding against Delhi Capitals in the Women’s Premier League on Sunday.
A club note issued late on Monday confirmed the problem was minor and that medical staff were happy with her progress. “Anushka is under the close supervision of the team’s medical staff and is progressing well,” the statement read. “She will be a big miss for the side, but her health and long-term well-being remain our priority.”
The 20-year-old sat out Tuesday night’s meeting with Mumbai Indians, her hand wrapped in a light strapping as she watched from the dug-out. Head coach Michael Klinger kept the prognosis simple: “We don’t think it’s serious. If rehab keeps ticking along she could be back within a week.”
Sharma had started the tournament brightly, striking 44 from 30 balls on debut against UP Warriorz and sharing a decisive 103-run stand with captain Ash Gardner. A brief cameo against Capitals – one six, one four in ten deliveries – was cut short when she jarred her hand attempting a diving stop on the rope, a moment that still saved two runs.
As a part-time off-spinner she is yet to bowl in the WPL, but team-mates say that option will be explored once the hand settles. Former India batter Snehal Pradhan likes what she has seen. “There’s clean power there, and a calm head. Those two don’t always come together in a player so young,” Pradhan told local radio.
Sharma’s domestic record hints at the same promise. She has captained Madhya Pradesh through the age groups, led in the Challenger Trophy and caught the eye during last year’s Madhya Pradesh Women’s League. Giants paid INR 45 lakh for her at auction after a three-way bidding tussle; early evidence suggests it could prove a bargain.
For now, Gujarat must shuffle the middle order – likely elevating Harleen Deol – while they wait for a key all-rounder to tape up, test the hand in training and return.
