Uttar Pradesh on threshold of creating history
LUCKNOW : Most of the players in Uttar Pradesh team come from an average background, and their passion and enthusiasm for winning are immense. For the last 20-odd days they have been enjoying their success together on the field.
What is common among them is a habit of winning and at all cost they would like to win one more time this year too, when they take on mighty Andhra Pradesh in the first-ever Women’s Under-19 Twenty20 League final, at the JKC College Ground in Guntur on Saturday.
Daughter of a police sub-inspector in Uttar Pradesh Police in Banda, Shobha Devi has been the top run getter in first-ever event of the Board of Control for Cricket in India with 391 runs in 10 matches with an unbeaten 84 being her best, and everyone expects her to deliver for the one final time.
“We are a family and everyone is determined to win the maiden trophy tomorrow,” UP team coach Chitra Singh said on Friday. “Winning would change the fortunes of many as they all have a hunger to earn a name and fame for them. This is quite motivating for them,” she added.
She, however, said that side was more focused to their game plan instead of looking for the rivals, who are also a good side.
“They (AP) too have an all-win record in the Super League as we have, but we are concentrating hard on our game plan,” she said.
“We are a balanced side and so far batswomen as well as bowlers have done their job quite nicely, and we would like to finish with a win on the marrow,” she said.
Other than Shobha, Muskan Malik (357), Neetu Gaur (230) and all-rounder Anjali Singh (135) have shown their marks in style. Anjali too did her best with white ball, emerging as the highest wicket taker so far with 19 wickets. She would be supported by Rishika Yadav (11 wkt) and Sonam Yadav (10 wkts).
After winning all their six group matches, Uttar Pradesh won all four matches in the Super League. On the contrary, Andhra Pradesh could win three matches out of six in the league phase, but maintained their winning streak in all four matches in the Super League.
V Pushpa Latha (238), E Padmja (213) and Saranya Gadwal (140) have done pretty well with willow, but their bowlers G Sindhuja (11 wkts), Saranya Gadwal (10 wkts) and K Dhathri (9 wkts) have been quite economical as well as effective so far.
SQUADS
Uttar Pradesh: Falak Naz,
Kashish Singh , Nargis Khan , Nishi Kashyap, Sonali Singh , Sonam Yadav, Aradhana Singh, Ayushi Srivastava, Muskan Malik, Anjali Singh, Humaira Rais, Juhi Pandey, Neetu Gaur, Shobha Devi, Vidisha, Apoorva Chandravanshi, Nenci, Rekha, Rishika Yadav, Shipra Giri, Pratibha Bharti, Meenu Yadav.
Andhra Pradesh: G Satyaveni, Vasavi Akhila Pavani, P Aishwaryarai, P Pallavi, P Pushpalatha, S Sailakshmi, T Umadevi, K Dhathri, M Durga, M Bhavana, E Padmaja, V Ramya Deepika, Saranya Gadwal, V Pushpa Latha, A Sireesha, B Anusha, K Devika, K Hamsa, V Sravani, G Sindhuja, K E Dayana, Sarayu, M Anusha.