Mixed outing for the Women’s U19 T20 World Cup winner on WPL debut
What looked like a dream WPL debut for Joshitha VJ turned out to be an ordinary one, by the end of her spell against the Gujarat Giants on Friday at Vadodara in the opening match of WPL 2025. Representing the defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru and being handed the serious responsibility of bowling the final over of powerplay, the 18-year-old, fresh from the ICC Women’s U19 T20 World Cup win in Malaysia, quickly got the taste of what franchise cricket is all about.
The right arm seamer was exceptional in the first over, giving away just two runs. She ticked almost all the boxes, hitting the right straps from the word go. That over saw a couple of good length deliveries, mixed with a back of a length to begin, two full and wide outside off balls, and a slower one. She followed up with another brilliant over when she bowled second on the trot, conceding just seven runs. Besides the boundary ball, the rest of the over was fabulous, keeping the two Aussies, Ashleigh Gardner and Beth Mooney quiet.
However, things took a wild turn for Joshitha, when she was reintroduced into the bowling attack in the death overs. Bowling the 16th and 18th overs, she leaked as many as 14 runs and 20 runs, respectively. Having seen a bit of Joshitha earlier in the innings, this time, Gardner was all set to send the debutant on a leather hunt smoking three sixes in the 18th over.
Unlike the sixth and the eighth overs, Joshitha was guilty of not bowling good length balls. She was either too full or too wide. Besides the length, finding the right line was the problem. Was it the pressure? Perhaps.
In all fairness, remember, the teenager was making her WPL debut. And it is not a walk in the park to bowl to the likes of Deandra Dottin, Gardner, and Mooney.