Sophie Devine: Different Players Stepping Up is Huge Positive for Gujarat Giants

The Ashleigh Gardner-led Gujarat Giants, who have four points currently, are seeking a win after suffering their first defeat of the season to MI.

"It was probably one of those games where we certainly weren't at our best, particularly in the field. But to think that we pushed the Mumbai Indians so closely and nearly snuck across the line again in that final over, there are still plenty of positives," said Sophie in a chat with the broadcasters, ahead of the clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the DY Patil Stadium here on Friday.

"I think the batting has been outstanding. We actually spoke about it post-game - we've been able to score big totals, but they've all come in slightly different ways. We've had real strengths in different phases, and different people keep standing up, which is a huge positive," she added.

She also said the challenge of containing opposition line-ups on high-scoring surfaces is huge, but added that GG were building confidence within the group. "With the ball, we know it's always going to be tough on these kinds of wickets, quick outfield and short boundaries."

"So we've got to keep finding ways to restrict teams. It would be nice to have an easier game, but we know that's not going to be the case against RCB tonight. It really grows confidence within the group," she added.

Devine singled out Anushka Sharma's composure at number three in the opening match as a boost to the squad and spoke of the enjoyment of opening the batting alongside Australia batter Beth Mooney. "Even in the first game, the way Anushka went out there at No.3, it gives other players confidence that they're good enough to be here and can perform at this level by backing their strengths.

"I'm really enjoying batting with Moons (Mooney) again. I've played a lot of cricket with her at the Perth Scorchers, and having someone at the other end you're really familiar with brings a lot of confidence and calmness to my game," she said.

Looking ahead, Sophie stressed the importance of execution to win games, despite the wealth of analytics available. "That's one of the fantastic things about the support and resources we have. The analysis of every player and every team is literally at your fingertips.

"We're very fortunate to have great analysts on board, but at the end of the day, you can have all the plans in the world, if you don't execute them on the field, they don't mean much," she said.

- IANS