There’s Always Extra Motivation To Beat Teams With Indian Captains: Gardner

Speaking on JioHotstar’s show 'TATA WPL: Curtain Raiser', Jemimah Rodrigues spoke about stepping into leadership at Delhi Capitals, acknowledging Meg Lanning’s lasting impact. Ashleigh Gardner praised Indian women’s cricket and shared her enthusiasm about leading Gujarat Giants again, while Meg Lanning highlighted her fresh challenge with UP Warriorz.

Speaking on 'TATA WPL: Curtain Raiser', new Delhi Capitals captain Jemimah Rodrigues shared her feelings about replacing a legend like Meg Lanning and embracing the leadership role:

"I met Meg Lanning and it felt weird to see her wearing the yellow jersey of the UP Warriorz. I have to say the impact Meg had on our franchise, Delhi Capitals, and the standards and culture she set was huge. I learned so much from her. I even picked her brain about captaincy. This new role as captain is exciting. I am also a little nervous because it is new. But I have led my domestic side for a while. I love leading because that extra responsibility brings out my best. My message to Delhi Capitals is the same. We have played amazing cricket and have an amazing support staff. We just keep working hard and doing the right things, and I know things will fall into place. That is our energy."

Speaking on 'TATA WPL: Curtain Raiser', Gujarat Giants skipper Ashleigh Gardner heaped praise on the Indian women's team:

"There’s always extra motivation to beat teams with Indian captains. I’ve heard a lot of media recently talking about the World Cup, and I think the greatest thing to come out of it was that it almost felt scripted for India to win - playing a World Cup on home soil and lifting the trophy. I’ve felt those same emotions, and it was amazing. So I can only imagine what it must have felt like for these guys as well. To be back here after what was a disappointing finish for us, but now playing franchise cricket in India, is so special. It’s one of the best competitions in the world. To be able to come back and lead the Gujarat team again, I’m certainly really excited about it."

Speaking on 'TATA WPL: Curtain Raiser', UP Warriorz's new captain Meg Lanning spoke about leading a new side and reuniting with Deepti Sharma:

"I’m really excited to work with Deepti. I’ve played with her a couple of times before, and it’s always nice to play alongside her. She comes in excellent form and has been with the UP Warriorz from the start, so I’ll certainly be leaning on her quite a bit to understand how things work and see what I can learn from her. I’m super excited about the opportunity with the UP Warriorz. I have loved my time at Delhi Capitals, but this is a great new challenge for me personally, coming into a new squad. I don’t know a lot of the players or staff, so that’s probably the biggest challenge , getting used to how everything works and trying to put my own little spin on things to get the best out of everybody. As I said, I’m really excited about it and looking forward to getting started in the first game."