What did coaches Jon Lewis and Michael Klinger say ahead of UPW v GG?

In match no. 15 of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025, Deepti Sharma’s UP Warriorz will take on Ashleigh Gardner’s Gujarat Giants at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, marking the commencement of the third leg of the competition.

The Giants are seated at the bottom of the table with just 2 wins out of their 5 games, while Warriorz tie them with the same points, however placed at number three in the points table with a net-run rate of -0.124.

Ahead of the match, head coach of the home team, Jon Lewis addressed the questions of the media.

On approaching the end of the tournament, where every game turns crucial, Lewis said that it is really tight, which is great for the competition. He mentioned that it is a big week for them with three important games and they are focused on the upcoming match, taking one game at a time.

He emphasized the importance of understanding the conditions quickly, adding that they have received valuable information from the people at the stadium, including players who are familiar with the venue. Based on this, they will shape their team accordingly and adapt to the conditions, as understanding and adjusting to them quickly is the key.

On answering about the pitch conditions in Lucknow, the head coach said, “I think it’s a mixture between the red and the black soil. I’m not exactly sure how it’s going to play, but if we were going to predict how it would play, I think it looks like a good pitch. It feels like there might be some dew, so the toss, again, as we’ve seen throughout this competition, has been an important factor. That could play a part in the game.

“I think there will be even bounce and even pace from what I can see. But we’ve got to adapt quickly to what happens tomorrow night. We’ve got to be able to think on our feet to make sure we’ve got the best eleven on the field. However, the most important thing about playing a game of cricket is adapting to the conditions in front of you as you play and understanding what your opponent is trying to do—then trying to counteract that.”

On the excitement of playing in front of the home crowd for the very first time in the history of the WPL, Lewis added, “From the start of the competition, when it was announced that we were coming here, the girls were super excited. The players have been talking about playing here, wanting to play in front of a home crowd. What we really hope is that the people of Lucknow come and watch us play cricket so we can get some real support behind us. That would be really nice. The players would really appreciate that. They would really get excited about playing in front of a home crowd.

“We’ve seen a really strong home crowd in Bangalore with RCB, and people turned out in good numbers in Baroda as well to support Gujarat. So, it would be great if the people of Lucknow come out and support us. We’d love to see them here. We don’t know—we’re not really sure—how many are going to come, but we would really appreciate the support, and the players are super excited. The captain understands the significance of being from this area and understands that this is part of where she has come from. She talks really fondly about growing up in this area. She’s really connected to this franchise and this team.”

On being asked about the role of the toss in deciding the result of the match, Lewis said that, from his point of view, the decisive factor is always who plays the best cricket. He acknowledged that there is an advantage to batting second, though he did not know the exact percentage of that advantage. However, he emphasised that this does not mean the result will always go that way, as teams still need to play the best cricket in the match.

Regardless of the toss outcome, he believes that if a team is going to win, the opposition may have an advantage batting second, as it has seemed so far in the tournament. However, he does not see the toss as the most crucial factor, instead stressing the importance of playing the best cricket. He stated that he would encourage his team to focus on that, regardless of the toss. He also admitted that his team had not quite clicked in terms of playing their best cricket consistently throughout the tournament, although they had some wonderful individual moments and performances.

He highlighted that his team has quite different players compared to others, with a lot of power that can change the game quickly. What he wants is for his team to be slightly more consistent in their planning, especially through the middle part of the game. If they achieve that, he believes the toss will not be relevant because of the power they possess.

Head coach from the end out of the dugout, Michael Klinger acknowledged the questions of the media.

“Hopefully, there’s a pretty big crowd here. We know there’s a good chance most will be supporting UP, but that’s okay. We had probably double of that in Bangalore in our last match when we played RCB and had a really good, strong game against them. So, we love playing in front of big crowds, whether they’re cheering for us or against us. I think that’s fantastic for women’s cricket. So hopefully, we get a nice crowd here tomorrow night, and we can keep them pretty silent.”

Klinger said that their win against RCB was crucial in keeping them very much in the competition. He noted that, apart from Delhi Capitals, the competition is very even at the moment. With every game being crucial for all teams now, he emphasised the importance of each match. He mentioned that he had a quick look at the wicket and found it to be in good condition for the following night. He described it as nice and hard with a little bit of grass cover.

Based on experience, he expected the dew to come in the evening, which would play a factor in the game. However, he pointed out that they were used to such conditions, as they had encountered similar situations in Baroda during the first few games. He praised the playing conditions, calling it a fantastic facility, and expressed hope for a good crowd at the match.

On the form of the Giants batters, where they’ve seen getting shuffled too frequently, he said, “We’ve had two poor games with the bat. We scored 120 twice, but other than that, we got 200 in the first game and, unfortunately, got chased down. In the second game, we chased sort of 145 pretty easily. I thought last game; our chase was pretty convincing. So, you could argue we’ve had three really good games with the bat and two not-so-great ones.

“I think Harleen did a really good job for us when she’s played that middle-order role. She’s sort of floating between the middle order and top order at the moment. She’s played some really nice knocks for us, and I thought last game we started to get some partnerships going. We had a 25, a 35, and a 51, so that’s going to be the key for us going forward into these last three games and then hopefully qualifying. It’s just making sure that our batting group builds partnerships—three or four of them—because I think if we can do that, it’s going to hold us in really good stead.”

On Gardner’s captaincy, as she led a team for the first time in the league, Klinger had great words of appreciation. He said that tactically, she had been excellent. He highlighted her decision in the last game to give an over to Dayalan Hemalatha against their left-hander, calling it a really good move. He noted that she opted for a part-time bowler, who conceded just four runs in the over, helping to maintain pressure on the opposition. He emphasized that tactically, she had been very good. He also described her as quite relaxed around the group.

Sharing his experience of working with her as a captain for the first time—after having worked with her as a player last season—he said the transition had been really smooth. He praised her for doing a fantastic job in her first major captaincy role at a high level. Looking ahead, he expressed confidence in her future as a captain, whether in franchise cricket or international cricket, stating that she has a big future ahead in leadership.

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