Priya Mishra seized her opportunity in style. After waiting patiently on the sidelines for an entire season, the young leg-spinner proved she truly ‘belonged here’ in just her second Women’s Premier League (WPL) match for Gujarat Giants.
In a dominant six-wicket win over UP Warriorz at Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara on Sunday, she made an immediate impact, claiming the crucial wickets of Tahlia McGrath, Grace Harris, and Deepti Sharma.
At 20, Priya had been eager for redemption after a forgettable debut in the WPL opener, where she conceded 29 runs in three overs without taking a wicket.
Her first over against the Warriorz saw her concede nine runs as Uma Chetry punished her slightly wide deliveries with boundaries. But in the very next over, Uma holed out straight to Priya at mid-on off Deandra Dottin.
The catch, which sparked her first ‘I belong here’ celebration, was just the morale boost she needed. The young bowler bowled with greater accuracy in her next over, and began using her googlies more frequently. The result was immediate.
Tahlia McGrath ✅
Grace Harris ✅
Here’s what Priya Mishra’s first two #TATAWPL wickets look like 😎👌
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— Women’s Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) February 16, 2025
McGrath, one of UP’s middle-order power hitters, was outplayed by a googly that pitched in line with middle and off. It skidded past her inside edge, striking her pads. Though the Australian was convinced she had made contact with the bat, the review revealed that the ball had hit her pads first.
McGrath departed for a two-ball duck, and Priya had found her rhythm. Next in line was the Australian all-rounder, Grace Harris. The 31-year-old was fortunate to survive the first googly, which narrowly missed her leg stump after deflecting off her inside edge. Harris then attempted a slog sweep off the next delivery, but Priya’s flighted ball did the trick. In the space of three balls, Priya had claimed two major wickets, shifting the momentum in Gujarat’s favour.
ALSO READ: Giants’ head coach Klinger says team took learnings from opening defeat after win against Warriorz
Priya wasn’t done yet. Deepti Sharma, the UP skipper, had tried to hold her team together with a composed innings, but the pressure finally got to her. Priya outwitted her with a tossed-up googly, which Deepti’s toe-ended shot couldn’t clear. The ball was intercepted by a diving Ashleigh Gardner, who ran in from mid-off to complete the catch.
During the innings break, Priya told broadcasters that her favourite wicket was Deepti’s. “I was told to attack the stumps as much as possible, and not change my mindset because I am a wicket-taking bowler,” she said.
Priya had done the job for Gujarat with her three-wicket haul. After being sidelined in the previous season, she capitalised on a stellar domestic campaign and her international debut to make a statement performance.
In the Senior Women’s One-Day Trophy, the Delhi spinner finished as the top wicket-taker with 23 scalps in eight matches. Her excellent domestic form earned her a spot on the India A tour of Australia, where she picked up a five-for in an unofficial ODI and took four wickets in the first innings of an unofficial Test.
Priya was also named a non-travelling reserve for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. Her international debut came soon after, during the third ODI against New Zealand in Ahmedabad. In her eight games, she claimed eight wickets, with her best figures being three for 48 against West Indies on the same ground where she opened her WPL account.
