'I was expecting her to celebrate like MS Dhoni' - Grace Harris on Kiran Navgire's innings against Mumbai Indians

The UP Warriorz beat Mumbai Indians by seven wickets to record their first win of the WPL 2024 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday. Chasing 162 for victory, the Warriorz finished at 163/3 in 16.3 overs. JioCinema and Sports18 WPL experts Reema Malhotra and Sushma Verma discussed the match-winning performances by Kiran Navgire (57 runs) and Grace Harris (1/20, 38* runs) on ‘Match Center Live’. Harris, too, spoke exclusively to JioCinema and Sports18. Excerpts:

Grace Harris on UP Warriorz’s first win of the season: “Credit to the coaching staff and our playing group. We’re trying to execute our plans and improve upon our weaknesses. We’ve got a young group, so they’re still developing their own skills. It’s been a great learning experience for them. That’s the best I've seen Kiran hit. She got a 50 in one of the games last season and she celebrated like MS Dhoni. I was expecting that celebration tonight, so I'm disappointed, to be honest (laughs).”

Harris on how she prepares for WPL games: “I’ve been watching all the WPL games, so that way I know what everyone else has done. Ashleigh Gardner or Shreyanka Patil, another off-spinner. Then I just see how I can do better or if I can spot a weakness in their stance or where they're trying to hit the ball.”

Reema Malhotra on Grace Harris’s performance: “We got to see why Grace Harris was backed by (Alyssa) Healy in tonight's innings. She’s a finisher and hits great shots because you need a batter in the middle-order that can score runs quickly. I think after you see two wickets fall, you need a batter that can ensure a third wicket will not follow. That’s what Grace Harris does. There’s grace in her batting and the way she can hit big shots, we get to see innovative cricket, power, and a wide range of shots.”

Also Read: WPL 2024 Match 6 Highlights: Mumbai Indians Women vs UP Warriorz Women Recap

Sushma Verma on Kiran Navgire’s knock: “Kiran has the strength to hit the ball for sixes. Today, she played her shots depending on the merit of the delivery. The shot she played by stepping out to Saika (Ishaque), that was a challenging length. It’s not easy to play shots like that. You need power and technique, and she showed all of that. Her shots on Nat Sciver-Brunt and Issy Wong were extremely praiseworthy. She has shown maturity but now she needs to become a player that can be reliable over a longer innings as well.”