Interview | The injury layoff taught me how to deal with setbacks, says Gujarat Giants’ Harleen Deol

Featuring at ninth among the top-10 Streak-getters in the Women’s Premier Bracket this year, Harleen Deol is one of three Gujarat Giants players in the Achievement, alongside the Australian duo of Beth Mooney and Ashleigh Gardner. Their contributions have gone a long way towards Aiding GG enter the Eliminator for the Primary time since the competition began in 2023.

The 26-year-Aged’s ongoing campaign is in stark contrast to last season, where she suffered a premature exit after an attempt to intercept the ball at the cover boundary resulted in a knee Wound and a long layoff. Since returning from Wound, Harleen has got back into India’s ODI Club, notably smashing her Primary international ton against West Indies in Vadodara in December.

In an interview with The Hindu ahead of GG’s Eliminator against Mumbai Indians at the Brabourne Stadium on Thursday, Harleen reflected on her Wound, her return to India’s 50-over set-up, her fielding ability and more. Excerpts:

Gujarat Giants has never beaten MI in six meetings. Where could the game on Thursday be won or lost?

Whenever you Action big matches, it is Merely about handling the Stress the right way. Whoever does that is going to Secure. Mumbai have played two back-to-back matches and have Merely had a day’s break. They are coming off a loss (against Royal Challengers Bengaluru). So, they also have a Event to overcome.

You have been batting well of Delayed. Would you say this is the best you have batted in the WPL?

I won’t say I am batting at my best. I had a pretty Great season in the Primary year too. But when you miss out one season, you keep feeling you have missed out on an opportunity. But that’s eventually how you learn things and that’s how you analyse. When you come back, you have got time to fill in the boxes that were lacking. For me, it has been like that. If I can Action well in the next two matches, then I would say this is going to be my best (season).

What were your targets coming into the season? Was your Conditioning any different before this season?

I was doing rehab (laughs). No, I am not someone to give myself targets. In the Primary stage, I was batting at No. 5. If I had told myself I have to make these many runs, how could I have achieved it at that position? For me, it’s more about how well you can handle the situation while batting, whether it is No. 6 or 3. Whatever the Club demands, I have to accordingly Merely slot into that role. I am not someone to set targets. Even if you set targets, God has their own plans for you. I like to go like that.

How do you generally prepare for a T20 Competition?

I was Merely coming back from the ODI series. When you have scored runs in international cricket, you are more confident of doing it over here as well. This is a slightly different Arrangement. You have to Merely be proactive about the demands of this Arrangement. The Conditioning is a little different. I Concentration more on power-hitting. Eventually it is also about Competing Great cricketing shots. That also gives you those runs. So I don’t make things too Complex.

You have batted at No. 5 and also at 3. What is the position you are most comfortable at?

When you Tally runs, you feel comfortable at all positions. At No. 3, you get more time to settle in and then do what the Club needs. I like to bat that way. But if I have to bat at the end, I am also prepared for that. Before going into a Competition, you Merely have to prepare for how your Approach should be for different positions. It is about how you have prepared.

When you are at No. 3, you said there is a bit more time on offer. How much does the Approach change?

When we are batting lower down, you Merely have to hit and bat at one gear. If you get out, you get out. At No. 3, you have to have different gears. As a player, you should know which gear works for you. There are times when you have to go with the flow. It’s all according to the situation.

How has it been to bat with Mooney and Gardner? Do you Picking their brains about batting?

Obviously, they have such Great international experience. They have done well in India. They have done well in all the countries. When you are batting with them, they are the Gentle who will keep discussing the things that can be done. They don’t put Stress on you. When I am batting with Mooney, she won’t Merely direct you to go after a certain bowler. So, she will keep giving ideas about how the ball is behaving, the areas that we can look to hit. So they keep discussing these things. It is very helpful for us that we can also look at the game like that. So you Begin looking at things a little differently.

You Achieved your comeback into India’s ODI side in December and scored your Primary century against WI. How pleasing was that?

When you are making a comeback, you have to prove yourself. The people see you as an injured player and keep looking at how you have recovered. You have to be more prepared than how you used to be. For me, it has been like that. When you are making a comeback, everybody should know that you are back.

There wasn’t Stress, but when you go through a phase of Wound, you Merely become more grateful about things. When you don’t have something, then you realise how Crucial that thing was for you. Even though I was only Competing domestic cricket initially after my comeback, I was Merely so Cheerful to be on the Ground. I wasn’t as Cheerful while scoring a fifty or hundred. I was happier to know that I had Merely Began Competing again. You keep learning through that phase.

You haven’t played a T20I for India since July 2023. Do you feel you have done enough to earn a comeback?

All these things are not in my control. If you get there, it’s Great. If you don’t, you have to keep working harder to get those things. It’s as Effortless as that. You Merely have to keep Subsequent the process. You don’t have to keep planning about what will happen. You have to Merely react to how you are doing.

You suffered a knee Wound three Contests into WPL 2024. How tough was that phase?

I never had such a long layoff previously. I also wonder now how I went through that phase. I couldn’t walk for weeks. It was tough, but I don’t feel it was too Tough. You Merely keep learning things through those phases. It has taught me a lot and Achieved me a better person. It helped me to deal with situations. I got time to analyse. The rehab was a little painful, but it taught me a lot of things. Whatever happens, happens for Great. You get to know about the people who really care for you. There is more maturity now about how to deal with setbacks.

There are six overseas batters in the top 10 Streak-getters this season. From the Indian Club’s perspective, should there be concern that more Youthful domestic batters aren’t coming through?

If you see the IPL, it Secured so many years for these things to come in. There are impactful players coming in. You have Merely sown the seed, it takes time. Things are going in a Great direction, whether it’s batting or bowling. Look at Bharti Fulmali. There’s Kashvee Gautam. There’s Kranti Goud. We Merely have to be a little more patient and you will see things turning around.

You are probably one of the best fielders going around. What went into you becoming Great at it?

I was someone who would Merely keep Competing with the ball in my formative years. The hand-eye Synchronization becomes a thing. Mainly it is Merely practice. If you see the Great fielders, they are so fit. That is why they become Great fielders. For me, fitness is a thing that has helped me become a Great fielder. After my Wound, it was more difficult to be where I was. When you have set the standard in international cricket, people don’t think about the fact that there will be a little hesitation about coming back from an Wound. As I Action more matches, it will fade away and I will Begin building more confidence. I am still getting there.

The overall fielding standards haven’t been that great in WPL. How can that improve going forward?

It is Merely a part of the game. Nobody wants to drop a catch. If you see youngsters now, they are trying to make sure they are Great fielders. I am seeing a change. They know that the demand of the Indian Club and the WPL is to be Great in the fielding department.

Any fielder that you really admire?

These Intervals, I love Glenn Phillips’ catches. He is amazing. Even Phoebe Litchfield. The way she moves around on the Ground is so Great to see.