Young leg-spinner Priya impresses with her guile and accuracy

She has an excellent wrong ’un. And she can get it right quite often, as she showed on Sunday night in the Women‘s Premier League (WPL).

Priya Mishra used her googlies splendidly to set up a much-needed victory for Gujarat Giants, against UP Warriorz, at the BCA Stadium. The Giants, playing at home for the first time, were desperate to put some points against their name on the table. For that to happen last season, they had to wait till their fifth match.

Priya hadn’t played in any of those games. In fact, she didn’t get a single game last year.

In Season 3 of the WPL, the 20-year-old from Delhi could well be one of the more regular numbers in the side. With more performances like this, after the disappointment on her debut against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, she could also be pushing for selection in the Indian team for T20 cricket before long.

Priya has already played for the Women in Blue in nine ODIs. Her best figures – three for 49 against the West Indies – came at the very venue where she bamboozled the UP batters. Tahalia McGrath, Grace Harris and Deepti Sharma, all with a wealth of experience behind them, were outfoxed by the young leg-spinner.

Not merely did she mix up her deliveries well, she bowled with accuracy, too. She has impressed many, including former India leg-spinner Shubhangi Kulkarni.

“She bowls with confidence and flights the ball well,” the former India captain told The Hindu. “It is good to see a young leg-spinner doing well at the WPL.”

Warriorz’s mentor Lisa Sthalekar too thinks highly of Priya.  “She attacked the stumps, and we know she bowls her googly well,” said the former Australian spinning all-rounder. “She wasn’t afraid and wanted to take on the best players in the world. She did not take a backward step against some big tall Aussies.”