Gujarat Giants head coach Michael Clinger acknowledged that repeated fielding mistakes proved costly for the team in their defeat against Mumbai Indians. Despite the loss, Clinger emphasised that the team’s overall commitment and preparation remain strong.
The Giants faced their first defeat of the WPL 2026 season as their poor fielding overshadowed the promising performances they had shown earlier in the tournament. Mumbai Indians captain Harmanpreet Kaur was dropped three times, and several misfields and overthrows added to Gujarat’s challenges, contrasting sharply with the high standards they had set in their first two matches.
Reflecting on the performance, Clinger said the Giants had been solid for most of the innings but things fell apart towards the end. “We fielded very well in the first few matches. Probably in the first 14-15 overs today, our fielding was good, but in the last five or six overs, those dropped catches cost us dearly,” he explained during the post-match press conference.
He admitted that such errors against world-class batters can be very expensive but defended his players’ hard work. “Giving a player like Harmanpreet three chances is tough, but I cannot fault our effort — both on the field and in training. Our fielding coach Sarah Taylor and the entire coaching staff have been working very hard with the players,” Clinger added.
He further stated, “There is definitely no lack of effort. Dropping catches and missing chances against quality players is difficult, and it’s an area we will keep working on. We have put in tremendous hard work on our fielding, delivering two strong performances previously, and maybe today was not our best.”
In a tactical change to the batting order, Gujarat Giants promoted Kanika Ahuja to number three after all-rounder Anushka Sharma was ruled out due to a hand injury sustained against Delhi Capitals. This was a significant shift as Ahuja had batted at number eight in the previous match and had not played in the first game of the season.
The move proved effective. After Sophie Devine was dismissed early, Ahuja played a quickfire innings of 35 runs off 18 balls, including four boundaries and two sixes, providing much-needed momentum to the innings.
Clinger explained the reasoning behind this decision and praised Ahuja’s performance. “We had a few options for the number three spot. Once we realised Anushka would be unavailable for a game or two, we felt Kanika was training well. She is a left-hander who can handle both pace and spin effectively at the top, and she played brilliantly today.”
He added that giving Ahuja clarity about her role allowed her to play with freedom. “Having a clear role helped her express herself on the field,” he said.
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