By Zainab Shafiq 
Laura Wolvaardt has been recruited by the Gujarat Giants to replace the injured Beth Mooney for the remainder of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2023 tournament. Wolvaardt, who previously played for Super Women in the PCB’s Women’s League exhibition matches in Pakistan, has been released by her team to participate in the WPL.
In other team news, former vice-captain Sneh Rana has been promoted to captain, while Australian all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner will take up the position of vice-captain for the rest of the tournament.During the opening match of the tournament against Mumbai Indians, Giants’ captain Beth Mooney suffered a calf injury.
The team was chasing Mumbai’s score of 207 for 5, and in the first over of the chase, Mooney hurt her knee while attempting to steal a run. She was forced to retire hurt, and Giants were ultimately defeated by a massive 143 runs after being bowled out for just 64. Although Mooney has been present at subsequent Giants matches, she has not played since the injury.
She has returned to training but has been advised to rest for 4-6 weeks.Beth Mooney expressed disappointment at having to sit out the rest of the Women’s Premier League season due to injury, stating that she was looking forward to leading the Adani Gujarat Giants. Despite this setback, she promised to support her team from afar and return next season stronger and more determined.
Meanwhile, Laura Wolvaardt has stepped up to replace Mooney for the rest of the tournament, after impressing during her appearance for Super Women at the Women’s League.The Giants secured Mooney’s services for INR 2 crore and were hoping to benefit from her experience as a top-order batswoman.
However, Wolvaardt’s recent form, including an unbeaten 53 in her only appearance at the Women’s League, suggests that she may be able to fill the void left by Mooney.