Working on my strike rate to earn place in CWG, WT20 squads: Taniya Bhatia

Pune: India wicketkeeper batter Taniya Bhatia said she has been working on her strike rate to cement her place in the national women’s team ahead of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games and next year’s World T20.

The 24-year-old from Chandigarh, known for her glovework, is not a regular in the Indian team since retiring hurt during the T20 World Cup final two years back due to a concussion.

She played three ODIs last year in England, managing just 7 and 2 in two opportunities. She also played three ODIs this year — one each against the West Indies, South Africa and New Zealand, scoring 8 in her only outing with the bat.

She was included in the World Cup squad in New Zealand this year but didn’t get a game with young Richa Ghosh, with better batting credentials, getting the preference.

“The main thing is to accept things, so I accepted my situations,” she said during the virtual press conference after Supernovas beat Velocity by four runs to claim the Women's T20 Challenge title.

“I thought during the World Cup that when I go back I will work on my batting. I knew there are T20s lined up this season, so I started working on my strike rate during the domestic tournament.

“T20 cricket is all about maintaining strike rate and average, so here also I kept my focus on that, to act according to the situation, and now also when I go back my preparation and focus will remain the same for the upcoming games.”

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Bhatia had played a pivotal role in India snatching a draw against England in the one-off Test last year when she shared an unbeaten 104-run partnership with Sneh Rana after coming on to bat at number 10.

“I am always positive and live in the moment. I didn’t think about past even during the domestic season,” said Bhatia, who scored 36 and 1 not out in two innings besides claiming three catches and one stumping in the three games of the Women’s T20 challenge.

“Before coming here, I thought that I will just focus on my role, do what the situation demands and not think about what is happening outside and try to grab the opportunities that come my way.”

I am working on my leg-side game: Laura Wolvaardt

South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt, who smashed a 40-ball 65 for Velocity, albeit in a losing cause, said she has been trying to improve her game on the leg side.

“I have been working on my leg-side game quite a lot, especially now in T20 games when teams put out the long off and deep extra cover, it takes away my extra cover powergame. So I have to think about different options,” she said.

“I am glad I got one or two over long on today but last over Sophie (Ecclestone) bowled really well, those yorkers were hard to get away.

“I got the first one away but she nailed the yorkers afterwards under a lot of pressure which shows there is a reason she is number one in world in both formats at the moment.”

Wolvaart hit five fours and three sixes during her innings, including a maximum of Alana King over long-on and a slog-sweep off Ecclestone over the midwicket boundary in the last over.

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