WPL 2024 | Australian Beth Mooney: If I could pick one player in India to have on my team...

Tanuja Kanwer took the first wicket in Women’s Premier League (WPL) history. (Image via X/@wplt20)

Tanuja Kanwer, the uncapped Indian left-arm spin-bowling allrounder who plays for the Gujarat Giants, has come a long way since taking the first wicket in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) history. A year on, from having Mumbai Indians opener Yastika Bhatia caught at square leg in the opening game of the inaugural WPL on March 4, 2023, the 26-year-old has shown a marked improvement in her all-round skills, as has been amply evidenced at the ongoing second edition of the Indian T20 tournament.

“She's competitive and knows what she wants,” said Giants captain Beth Mooney of Kanwer after the side’s victory against the Royal Challengers Bangalore on Wednesday in New Delhi. “Sometimes we have a few little arguments on the field about what field to set but if I could pick one player in India to have on my team, it's probably her.”

Kanwer’s showings have been one of the few bright spots in the Giants’ underwhelming campaign so far this season as the last-placed side from the 2023 season continues to occupy the same position in the ongoing iteration, too, having won only one of their five games. Kanwer leads the wicket charts for them, with seven wickets from five innings at a strike rate of 14.5, having taken at least one wicket in each of the Giants’ games. With the bat, she averages 22.5 for her 45 runs in three innings as a lower-middle-order or lower-order batter, with a highest score of 22, and is sixth on the team’s run-scorer’s list ahead of some of the frontline batters, too.

“She bowls left-arm spin which is pretty effective here and she bowls the really tough overs. I throw her in the deep end and she loves it,” Mooney added. “She usually bowls a couple in the Powerplay and a couple towards the end and usually to the shorter side. I can't speak more highly of her and hopefully, one day, we see her in an India shirt.”

Giants head coach Michael Klinger, who replaced compatriot Rachael Haynes in the position for the ongoing season, himself, too, was full of praise for Kanwer.

“Tanuja has been great. She is full of energy as well in the field, off the field. She’s bowling beautifully and she’s played a few nice little innings as well. She’s had a great tournament so far,” Klinger said at the start of the month. “She’s great to have around the group as well. I am really happy for her. I hope she can keep going throughout the tournament.”