“I was super excited to get over here,” says Georgia Voll on WPL opportunity

Mumbai Indians registered a commanding 6-wicket win against UP Warriorz in Match 16 of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025. With this victory, Mumbai climbed to the second position on the points table with 8 points, surpassing Gujarat Giants. Their strong all-round performance kept them in contention for a top finish. Meanwhile, UP Warriorz will need to regroup quickly to stay in the playoff race.

UP Warriorz opener for the match Georgia Voll addressed the questions of the press.

Voll came in as a replacement for Sri Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu who boarded the flight as New Zealand hosts Sri Lanka for a limited-overs series. On being called in as a replacement midway through the tournament, the all-rounder said, “Obviously, it’s been an exciting couple of months, something that I probably dreamed of and didn’t expect to come so fast. So, it’s been a bit of a whirlwind couple of months, and obviously, to get the call to come over here as a replacement was really exciting. I’m actually in the middle of renovating my apartment, so I’ve left that over to my dad and brother at the moment. It gets me out of doing that, which is great.

“So, I got the call on Saturday, and it was just a waiting game for when I would leave. Obviously, we had a state WNCL final, which was a bit disappointing to miss, but I was super excited to get over here. Obviously, the first game was a bit disappointing in terms of not contributing to the team, but even though I did that today, it wasn’t enough, unfortunately.”

Traditionally, the decks in Australia offer pace and bounce, contrary to pitches that offer grip and sharp turn in India. On the difference of pitches in Australia and India, Voll said, “I’ve had a couple of training sessions and the game today (vs MI) and the other day (vs GG), and the only thing I’ve really noticed is that it’s a little bit slower and lower. So, you’ve got to play as straight as you can for a bit longer. Obviously, the pitches in Australia are quite bouncy and fast, so it’s just a little bit of an adjustment there, trying to play with the pitch straight for longer.”

On her performance in the first two games for the team, the debut game wherein she walked back to the pavilion without troubling the scorers, she said that she put a lot more pressure on herself than others probably did. She mentioned that she was really disappointed in herself for not being able to contribute to the team. She felt that it was her job to come in, bat at the top of the order, and fulfill that role. She expressed gratitude for being able to get the team off to a good start with Grace but acknowledged that it did not go as planned.

Speaking about her 74-run opening partnership with Grace Harris, she stated that she felt quite comfortable with her. Having played a lot of cricket together and grown up playing alongside each other over the years, they understood each other’s game well. She found it comforting to know that they backed each other at the top, making it a good partnership for them.

On UP Warriorz not being consistent in season three of the league, the 21-year-old said, “The players would be disappointed. Obviously, their goal is not to go out there and not contribute to the team. I think everyone’s been working really hard at training, and it just hasn’t quite clicked yet. We’ve got quite a young group, so moving forward, I think they’ll be in good stead for the opportunities that they’ve had. Obviously, they’re disappointed that they’re not contributing to the team, but I think it’s just around the corner.”

Harmanpreet Kaur and Sophie Ecclestone exchanged heated words of argument during the first innings over the issue of over-rate. On the confrontation, Voll added, “Sophie is a bit of an angry aunt anyway, (laughs) so it was actually quite funny to watch. But I think it was to do with the over-rate. I don’t think Harmanpreet Kaur was happy with having four out instead of only allowing three out, but they were about seven minutes behind. So, I’m not really sure why she was mad at that.”

New Zealand’s star Amelia Kerr stood out with the best bowling figures of the third season of the Women’s Premier League, registering figures of 5/38 in her 4-over quota. With a big smile across her face, she spoke to the media in the post-match presser.

Kerr was introduced in the bowling line-up straight after the end of power play and was welcomed with a hat-trick of boundaries by Georgia Voll. On an unexpected start, the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year said, “I think, it’s not the way you want to start a spell. My first ball—I mis-executed —but then the next two were edges for four, which you can’t control. I thought I bowled them in a good area, and they went for boundaries, which happens in cricket at times. But with the first three balls going for 12, the immediate thought was, ‘How can I get out of this over without it becoming too expensive?’ It was frustrating. But looking back, the first ball probably deserved four, and the next two were just unlucky.”

Kerr added that her focus is on the WPL and on delivering strong performances for Mumbai, aiming to be the best player she could be and help the team win the competition. She mentioned that playing in India provides great preparation and valuable experience, which is important. However, she acknowledged that it will be a different format from what they would play later in the year at the 50-over World Cup, which she found exciting. For now, though, her full focus remained on Mumbai.

On Mumbai’s team environment, a team that has always racked high in terms of proficiency, she said, “As a team, we keep things pretty consistent. We’ve built a strong core, with many players having been here since Year One. That consistency helps build trust and a family-like atmosphere, not just within the squad but also with the fans and owners. That sense of connection is important, and hopefully, it helps us achieve success.”

On the heated moment between Harmanpreet Kaur and Sophie Ecclestone, the 24-year-old said that she was trying to diffuse the situation between them. She acknowledged that things got a little heated on the field, as both are passionate and competitive cricketers. Describing herself as more laid-back, she mentioned that she was just having a joke with them, trying to lighten the mood. She explained that the discussion about the over-rate was straightforward.

The team was ready to start, but they were behind time, and Harmanpreet was simply asking why they couldn’t begin earlier. Since the clock showed they were running behind, she emphasized that it was something the team needed to improve. She pointed out that later in the tournament, being three overs down could be a real advantage for the batting side. She also stressed that it was not just on Harmanpreet Kaur, as she already had a lot to focus on, and that the entire fielding unit needed to be quicker between overs.

On getting the opportunity to open the innings, in place of Yashika Bhatia who has had a disappointing season so far, she said, “It was nice to get the opportunity to open the batting. It didn’t quite work out, but I’ve batted at No. 3 for New Zealand and other teams, which is quite similar to opening. It’s just about getting used to it and balancing the lineup with a left-hander in the middle order. We’ll see what happens, but it was a good opportunity, and it was great to see Hayley perform so well today.”

The Player of the Match trophy was awarded to Hayley Matthews who scored 68 runs off 46 balls and also chipped in with fruitful wickets Grace Harris and Shweta Sehrawat. She said, “I think there’s always a balance. Hayley is an all-rounder, and today she made an impact with both bat and ball. That’s probably why she stood out—she contributed in both areas. But at the end of the day, no one plays for individual awards. It’s not about that. What really matters is winning games for Mumbai. Whether I get an award or not doesn’t bother me at all. It’s all about helping the team get victories.”

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