WPL: Gujarat Giants' Kashvee Gautam Aiming To Be Back In National Reckoning

The upcoming third edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL), starting from Friday, serves as a key platform for Indian players aiming for national team selection. Gujarat Giants' (GG) fast-bowling all-rounder Kashvee Gautam is sure to attract the attention of onlookers in the Indian cricket ecosystem. She first came into limelight by picking up ten wickets in an innings, including a hat-trick, for Chandigarh in an Under-19 one-day game in 2020. In December 2023, she became the most expensive uncapped Indian cricketer in WPL's history with a pay cheque of Rs 2 crore in the auction ahead of 2024 WPL.

But Kashvee never set foot on the field due to a stress fracture in the toe of her left foot, ruling her out of WPL 2024.

Eventually, Kashvee made a comeback in the 2024/25 Senior Women's One-Day Trophy, where she picked seven wickets in six games for Chandigarh.

Ahead of GG set to open their WPL 2025 campaign against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Vadodara, Kashvee's ability to hit the deck hard at a high speed and be a quality finisher is something the side will benefit hugely from this season.

“Last year, I was with the team in Bangalore for some time. I saw what I was missing out on, and also realized what I could add up. After recovery, I worked on my range hitting. I looked for areas for scoring shots - not only in front but also behind the wicket. I developed variations in bowling, as there is very little margin of error in WPL.

“My domestic season went well, my economy was good and I am confident that I will do my best in the coming matches. I want to take as many wickets as I can in powerplay and keep the economy down. I want to take the game to the end and finish matches in my role as a