WPL: Playing WNCL Games Was Great For Being In A Good Batting Rhythm, Says Lanning

(MENAFN- IANS) Vadodara, Feb 11 (IANS) Since retiring from international cricket in 2023, Meg Lanning has settled into the life of playing franchise T20 leagues and taking part in the domestic competitions in Australia.

With relentless touring cut, Meg cuts across as a refreshed person whose immediate challenge in India is to now lead Delhi Capitals to their first Women's Premier League (WPL) title when season three starts from February 14.

Though her recent WBBL stint with Melbourne Stars got her only 158 runs in nine innings, Meg amassed 358 runs in eight games for Victoria in the 50-over Women's National Cricket League (WNCL), which she believes has helped her settle into a good batting rhythm ahead of WPL 2025.

“I've been playing some games for Victoria in the WNCL back in Australia. So that's been nice. I think playing matches is important. There's nothing quite like being out in the middle and being in a good rhythm with that. So I feel like those games are great for me in that respect, and I'm in a good spot with my game.

“I always enjoy playing and batting over here in India. I've had some success in the past. So far with the couple of days I've been here, it's been nice to just get used to the conditions again and just be really clear on what my plan is and how I want to go about it.

"So I feel like I'm in a good spot and excited for the tournament coming up and looking forward to contributing and helping Delhi win some games across the competition,” said Meg while replying to a query from IANS in the pre-season press conference.

She also gave a peek into how her world has changed after retiring from the relentless international cricket calendar, with the prospect of passing on knowledge to younger cricketers in WPL, The Hundred, WBBL, and WNCL, giving her utmost joy.

“I guess a big change for me is just being at home a little bit more, not being on the road as much, which is something I've enjoyed. But what that does mean is when I get the chance to come and play in tournaments like this, I'm really excited and looking forward to playing in them.

“So that's certainly the case here. Having experienced international cricket for so long, I've picked up different things along the way on what works and what doesn't. Now I've got the opportunity, particularly back home, but also in tournaments like this, to work with the younger players and try and pass on some of the knowledge that I've picked up.

“It's not just on the field, but off the field in terms of how you can manage yourself with the pressures that come with playing cricket at this level. So that's something I try to do with any team I play in now is pass on some of that knowledge and answer any questions that any of the other players have.

“It's because I think that's a really important part of learning and being part of teams as well. So that's a part of it that I enjoy doing and can probably put a little bit more time into these days, given that I'm not playing internationally. It's no different here with Delhi - everybody here wants to learn and ask questions, and I really love that about the environment," she said.

Meg is currently the leading run-getter in WPL's history, and she glowingly talked about the tournament's impact on the growth of Indian cricketers since its inception in 2023.“It's had a huge impact, not just for international level players, but also on the local players here and growing the game.”

“As Jonathan just mentioned, the improvement from our domestic Indian players and national players as well has been incredible to watch. Something that I've really enjoyed seeing is just their development and how much they've been getting better just through the opportunity that WPL provides them to play alongside international players and their Indian stars as well.”

She also feels WPL has succeeded in giving players the chance to play on a big platform and give young girls the real possibility of making a career out of playing professional cricket.“But it's also sort of give them exposure to playing on the big stage, I guess. You only improve at that if you get the experience and opportunity to do that. So it certainly provides that.

“The other thing it does do is it just provides a platform for young girls to see what's possible and see what the pathway is to go and play for franchises or your country. When you can see that as a young person, I think that's inspiring and sort of gives you something to work towards something that you feel like you can achieve.

“So I know back home that the WPL gets spoken about a lot. It's certainly a tournament that players want to be part of. So I'm really excited to be back here playing again for Delhi. It's always something I look forward to. I've had some really fun and enjoyable experiences so far. So certainly happy to be back and looking forward to the tournament," Meg said.

DC's quest of winning their first WPL title begins when they face Mumbai Indians on February 15, it also reunites Meg with India opener Shafali Verma, who has been out of the national team after the ODI series against New Zealand last year.

It meant Shafali was back to playing domestic cricket and finished as the leading run-getter in the Senior Women's One-Day Challenger Trophy, amassing 414 runs in five matches at an average of 82.80 and a strike rate of 145.26, including hitting one hundred and three fifties.

“I love batting with Shafali. She often puts on a very entertaining show and I've got the best seat in the house, watching from the other end most of the time. So, in the practice game, she did a very similar thing a few days ago. She looks like she's in really good touch and enjoying herself and having fun, too, which I think is important.

“So for me, just watching her play with freedom, express herself, and when she does that, that plays a really important role for our team. So I always enjoy batting with her. We get on well and hopefully, this season can continue on from where we have been in the first two editions,” concluded Meg.

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