'I always feel like she’s one step ahead of the game' - Vrinda Dinesh is awe of Alyssa Healy's captaincy skills

While the UP Warriorz may have fallen short of the playoffs in the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2024 season, one of their young stars took away an invaluable experience.

Vrinda Dinesh, the 23-year-old opener, had the opportunity to open the batting alongside Australian legend Alyssa Healy, and the faith shown in her by the experienced campaigner left a lasting impact. Dinesh, who became the second-most expensive signing in the WPL 2024 auction at INR 1.3 crore, had a brief but eventful stint with the UP Warriorz.

Despite her relative inexperience at the highest level, she caught the attention of franchises with her explosive batting. However, her WPL campaign was cut short due to an unfortunate shoulder injury after just three matches.

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 I always feel like she’s one step ahead of the game: Vrinda Dinesh

Recently, Dinesh opened up about her experience playing under Healy's leadership and the positive atmosphere within the UP Warriorz camp. She expressed her admiration for Healy's cricketing acumen and her ability to stay one step ahead of the game, both as a captain and a batter.

"I've always looked up to Alyssa Healy. I always feel like she’s one step ahead of the game. She knows which bowlers to bring on and what fields to set. Even while batting, when I was stuck or when I got a few runs, she was very confident that I could do the job, even though I didn’t have much experience," said Dinesh while speaking to Sportskeeda.

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The UP-based franchise had a disappointing season as they couldn't qualify for the playoffs and finished fourth on the points table with six points. Dinesh revealed that Healy's belief in her abilities infused a sense of self-belief within her.

"That positivity made an impact on me; I believed in myself a lot more because I was getting that feedback from a player like her. If you’re getting it from there, then of course you should do it too. If she believes in me, why shouldn't I? That kept me going, and that’s what made me happy also," she added.