Gautami Naik credits Grace Harris, Nadine de Klerk for WPL growth

Gautami made history earlier this season by becoming the first uncapped Indian player to score a fifty in the WPL by striking 73 off 55 balls in a crucial match against Gujarat Giants - a knock where she curbed her usual aggressive instincts to give her side a memorable win.

"I can say I have learnt a lot from Grace Harris and Nadine de Klerk. I have bonded well with all of them. We are enjoying it together. I have learnt from Grace Harris that she keeps the game very simple. Her game plan is very simple - what will I play if I come to this area? Her shots, her application for the game is also very simple."

"She plays on the field with a lot of enjoyment. It doesn't feel like there is any pressure. She enjoys the game. I have learnt from Nadine about her never give up attitude. Nadine has done very well as a batter, bowler and fielder in all three departments," Gautami told IANS in a select virtual interaction organised by the franchise on Monday.

Nadine's ability to deliver in critical situations with both bat and ball has particularly a huge impact on Gautami. "She has executed herself well by taking the stand where the team needed it and she took the wickets when the team required.

"She played a good knock in the first match, when there were no hopes and got the match in our favour. I am getting this experience from these overseas players in India and I think it will be very useful in the future," she said.

Gautami's maiden WPL fifty transformed her life overnight, in terms of her life beyond the cricket field and inspiring young players at the academy where she practices in Pune. "Yes, they were very happy. It was a good knock for me. Everything changed at random. I can't say that no one recognized me. Everyone was calling at my home. My relatives were calling and my mother was crying after calling me.

"She was proud of me and said that I played well. Everyone in my academy is looking at me as an inspiration. They also feel that if this girl can go to there, then we can also work hard and scale greater heights. Everyone is happy and excited about the finals. They believe that we will do well in it," she recalled.

Though Gautami has played only four games in WPL 2026, she has developed a structured pre-match routine centered on meditation and staying calm, something which has become integral to her preparation over the past year.

"My routine before the match is very simple. I go and do my priming session. I do my meditation. We are in our own zone before the match. Everyone is in their own zone. Someone listens to songs and then we are in our own zone. Now we are going to play the final, so we have to prepare for it."

"How will the wicket be? Who will be the opponent? How can we get ready? We also analyse what the other bowlers are planning. How will the situation be created? We apply all this in practice and do things as per that continuously and repeatedly. So do your basics and routine well."

Gautami signed off by describing how meditation has become a daily discipline rather than just a match-day ritual. "I have been doing it since I joined professional cricket. But I have become very professional in the last one year.

"Meditation and working on myself - it has become a part of my daily process. I meditate every day and all these things have helped me to be a good and calm player. I also prefer to listen to only slow songs before the matches for staying calm."

- IANS