What did MI’s Amelia Kerr and UPW’s Dinesh Vrinda share in the post-game presser?

As season three Women’s Premier League (WPL) gains momentum swiftly, inaugural title-holders Mumbai Indians have claimed the top spot on the points table with a dominant 8-wicket victory over UP Warriorz in the 11th match of the tournament. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur led Mumbai with a composed approach, while Deepti Sharma’s UP Warriorz struggled to put up a competitive total. With this win, Mumbai further strengthens its campaign, showcasing impressive form in the league.

Amelia Kerr of the Mumbai Indians answered the questions of the press.

The team in Blue-and-Gold cruised through a comfortable run chase with 3 overs to spare. On a commanding win against an in-form UP Warriorz team, Kerr said, “It’s obviously a great one and it’s nice to be on the winning side, I think so many different players stepped up at different times throughout the game and whether it was big or small contributions, I thought it was outstanding and they obviously got off to a pretty good start.

“Grace (Harris) got off to a flyer and I think with our bowling, we’ve got a lot of wicket takers and the fact we can just keep pulling it back and then they bowled really well up the top and Nat (Sciver-Brunt) came in and did what she’s been doing all season and that’s the world-class innings and, a special when there was definitely moments where we were put under pressure and and not the best team at certain times, but overall I thought there was some brilliant bits of cricket.”

Discussing the pitch conditions in Bengaluru and Hayley Matthews’ innings, Kerr expressed her thoughts on the match. She mentioned that the wickets they played on were quite good, and the opposition bowled well against Hayley early on. Kerr highlighted that many batters tend to throw away their wickets when the conditions are tough, which can put the team under pressure.

However, Matthews showed resilience, built a crucial partnership with Nat, and finished her innings at a strong strike rate. Kerr emphasized that this performance reflected Matthews’ class and experience, as she remained composed and carried on despite the challenges.

Kerr spoke about the significance of winning momentum in a tournament, acknowledging that while momentum can play a role, it is important not to over analyse it. She emphasised that each game requires a fresh approach, where players must follow the same processes and strive to perform at their best, regardless of past results. While momentum is often discussed, Kerr believes that truly great teams and players have the ability to deliver consistently, irrespective of previous performances.

Getting behind the team and speaking at length about their aggressive approach towards the game, the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year said, “Today it was just about winning the game. They obviously bowled well at the start. So, it puts us under a little bit of pressure, but it’s just about winning games and that’s what I guess we can focus on at the moment and what every team’s trying to do and get those points to give us the best chance to make it to finals.”

On being questioned about the importance of winning away matches, “It’s not something we’ve talked about. What we know is that we have to win back to back games, just taking it each day as it comes and obviously every games’ really important and you want to give yourself the best chance, I guess as early on in a tournament to make the finals and it’s been a great start for the team to be where we are on the table and with the winds we’ve had.

“But, obviously at the back end -people might get tired and recovery is really important. But it’s just turning up each and every day to the best of your ability, both on and off the field.”

On acknowledging the battle with big-hitter Grace Harris where the bowler got the better of the batter, Kerr said, “Grace is pretty powerful and an incredible bull striker, so I think as a bowler, you’ve got to accept that sometimes you’re going to be hit for boundaries and that’s going to happen.

“It’s nice to be in a battle with someone that can hit a ball the way she does, and you’ve got to be real, I guess, really on as a bowler and I knew she was going to come hard, and I was just trying to bowl at a good pace and into the wicket. Fortunately for me, she didn’t time that ball particularly well but another day she could hit that same ball for six, but it’s just trying to bowl as many good balls as possible, especially when batters are coming hard. I think your length in your pace as a spinner is really important.”

From UP Warriorz, batter Vrinda Dinesh was at the help, answering the questions of the media in the post-match presser.

Kiran Navgire walked back to the pavilion in the initial phase of the innings. However, Vrinda Dinesh and Grace Harris stitched a crucial partnership to stop the turbulence.

“We started off really well with the bat, Grace and I had a good partnership. It was fun to bat with Grace but I feel we didn’t capitalise towards the end and Nat Sciver-Brunt showed a proper display of how to go about scoring runs and I mean she played brilliantly and for me, I’ve been batting well since the start of the tournament and, there are days when it doesn’t really happen, but I think we should accept it in this, not chase it, just wait for things to happen to you.”

Dinesh shared her excitement about facing some of the world’s top bowlers, mentioning that she has been training to compete against them. She expressed that stepping onto the field and batting in such situations is thrilling for her. Instead of focusing on runs, she emphasised that her team encourages her to play freely and enjoy the game. Their only expectation is for her to give the best and express herself on the field.

Vrinda Dinesh reflected on being retained by the UP Warriorz and the responsibility she felt to repay the faith shown by the management. She shared that her biggest learning from the franchise has been to not take cricket too seriously, emphasizing that while the sport can be tough at times, it should also be enjoyed. She acknowledged that after being retained, she felt a personal obligation to contribute to the team, as the franchise had taken great care of her.

Speaking about her performances in the first four games, she mentioned that the management continuously reassured her, encouraging her to stay patient with her batting. They reminded her that while tough phases are inevitable, success eventually follows. Keeping that in mind, she has been focusing on staying patient and enjoying her game.

On Kiran Navgire’s batting, she added, “I mean, it’s scary to stand at the non-striker end and I try to duck as she tries to hit straight but she’s in a fantastic zone. She just goes about her. She doesn’t bother about a lot of things. She just goes about her game, and I think that’s the best version of her.”

“Grace is a very funny person. She laughs all the time and was also brought into that mood today where both of us were actually laughing. There wasn’t any serious talks happening. We were just laughing. We were like ‘go girl, get this good shot and stuff like that’.”

Speaking in support of Australia’s vice-captain Tahlia McGrath, who has had a poor WPL season, Vrinda Dinesh praised her as a fantastic cricketer. She acknowledged McGrath’s past performances, both individually and for UP Warriorz, and suggested that her struggles might be a matter of timing. Dinesh remained optimistic, expressing hope that the next match could be a turning point for McGrath, potentially changing the course of her season in an unexpected way.

“There was a lot of backing from the management that kept me in a very safe and comfortable zone. And all I had to do was- another opportunity for me to go and express myself, be happy, to try and enjoy playing Shabnam Ismail for the first time.”

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