Cricket

Gujarat Giants' Harleen Deol's WPL 2024 Campaign Cut Short by InjuryGujarat Giants have suffered a significant setback with the news that batter Harleen Deol has been ruled out of the remainder of the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2024 due to an injury. Deol sustained a knee injury during the Giants' third group-stage match against UP Warriorz in Bengaluru.The incident occurred in the first over of Warriorz's innings when Deol, stationed at sweeper cover, raced to her right to intercept a ball. She immediately clutched her left knee and limped off the field. Deol has not been seen in action since.Deol's absence is a major blow to the Giants, who have already been plagued by injuries. Uncapped fast bowler Kashvee Gautam was ruled out before the tournament began, while Australia's Lauren Cheatle had to withdraw after undergoing a medical procedure. Additionally, vice-captain Sneh Rana has missed the last two matches due to an undisclosed injury.Deol's performance in the WPL 2024 had been underwhelming. She batted at No. 3 in the Giants' season opener, where she fell for 8. In the second game, she was slotted in as an opener where she scored 22 off 31 balls. For the match against Warriorz, she was back at No. 3, where she managed 18 off 24.Deol's replacement, 29-year-old Bharti Fulmali, has played two T20Is for India and represents Vidarbha in domestic cricket. She was also part of the Trailblazers squad in the Women's T20 Challenge, which preceded the WPL.The Giants, currently at the bottom of the table, had a torrid start to their tournament, losing the first four matches. However, they turned a corner in their last game against Royal Challengers Bangalore, picking a win by 19 runs in Delhi. They next play Mumbai Indians on March 9 in Delhi.