Luckiest WPL player or underused? She has two trophies - more than Smriti Mandhana - with just 1 wicket and six runs in three seasons
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Luckiest WPL player or underused? She has two trophies - more than Smriti Mandhana - with just 1 wicket and six runs in three seasons")
Luckiest in WPL? She has two trophies with just 1 wicket and six runs in total Photograph: (BCCI)
Kalita has been with MI during all three seasons, from 2023-25, before being released by the franchise ahead of upcoming mega auction. She has taken only 1 wickets in 13 WPL matches and scored only six runs but has two trophies to her name.
The Women's Premier League (WPL) - sister franchise of the Indian Premier League (IPL) - has become a platform for the Indian players to get fast-tracked into the national side. The performance in the five-team tournament gets noticed by selectors and the consistent players are often rewarded with national call up. Mumbai Indians' Jintimani Kalita, however, is one such player who has more WPL trophies than Smriti Mandhana but hasn't been able to her India debut. Kalita has been with MI during all three seasons, from 2023-25, before being released by the franchise ahead of upcoming mega auction.
Is Kalita luckiest or most underused player in WPL?
Kalita, a bowler, was bought at her base price of INR 10 lakh in the maiden 2023 WPL auction. She played 10 matches in the maiden season but was given a chance to bowl in only four innings. In those four innings in maiden WPL season, she bowled a total 30 balls, giving away 37 runs and taking one wicket.
Come next season, Kalita played only three matches and was given an opportunity to bowl in two of them for a total 12 balls or two overs. She gave away 21 runs and took no wickets in that season. In the last edition of WPL, Kalita did not get to play a single match. She, however, has two WPL trophies to her name - in maiden 2023 season and the last edition earlier this year. Her trophies are one more than Smriti Mandhana and most of the players in league.
How has she performed in domestic cricket?
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Kalita plays for Assam Women in India's domestic cricket set up. She has played nine List A matches (50-over), scoring 136 runs and taking four wickets. In T20s, he played 16 matches but managed only two wickets so far. It remains to be seen if Kalita gets a buyer in the upcoming auction or not.
