Saika Ishaque not far from receiving Indian cap: Parthiv Patel
Mar 08, 2023
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 8 : Former Indian wicketkeeper-batter Parthiv Patel said on Wednesday that left-arm spinner Saika Ishaque, who has been impressive so far for Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Women's Premier League (WPL), is not far away from getting an Indian cap.
Saika Ishaque is the holder of the WPL Purple Cap, with a total of six wickets in two matches.
Parthiv praised Ishaque's efforts and said she may get the opportunity to debut for India soon. "I think Saika was brilliant today. She was brilliant in the last game also. She keeps it simple in the way she bowls. She has been playing domestic cricket for a while, though she has not played for India, but she has that experience," he said.
"This is what the WPL does to you, even though you perform well in domestic cricket, this is the bigger stage. When you perform you get noticed and I do not think she is far away from getting that India cap," added Patel, who is a WPL expert at Sports 18 and JioCinema.
Patel also highlighted MI's rich legacy in the IPL as a result of which players are always motivated to play freely. "The atmosphere that they have provided. We have seen it multiple times. Even when the coach said that players like Hayley Matthews go into franchise cricket to express themselves. If you put them under pressure, the fear of getting out plays a part. When you play for the Mumbai Indians, you are not scared of getting out. You know you will get opportunities and when you're playing T20 cricket, you have to take chances," explained Patel.
Former Indian all-rounder Reema Malhotra, hailed MI as the best team in the WPL. "The reason I think this is the best team is because of the number of all-rounders they have, the number of match-winners they have. They start with (Hayley) Matthews and then have Harman in the middle, Nat Sciver-Brunt is showing her skills. This is a team that is full of match-winners, players who can win you games on their day," said Malhotra after the game."
Mumbai Indians will be facing Delhi Capitals in their next match on Thursday.
