The team registered a clean sweep over UP Warriorz, ended a long winless streak against Mumbai Indians and registered two thrilling last-over wins against Delhi Capitals. However, defeats in both encounters against Royal Challengers Bengaluru prevented them from achieving an even stronger finish in the competition phase.
“Yes, for sure, finishing second this year is a huge improvement. Probably the two finals [Eliminators] we played, both last year and this year, we just didn’t play our best. We talked about it in our team meeting today – that if we play to the best of our ability, we have a chance of beating any team in this competition – and we just weren’t quite there today, both in batting and bowling,” Klinger said, as quoted by Cricbuzz.
“We have learned a lot about our squad this year. Whether we won the final or not, or the championship or not, we are quite clear about the areas we need to improve next year. We have plenty of time – about ten months now – to watch more cricket from both local and overseas players, tinker a bit and hopefully come back bigger and stronger next year,” he added.
This season is a base, not a ceiling: Klinger
Klinger also spoke optimistically about the Indian talent within the squad, describing the season as a foundation rather than a ceiling. He stressed that the next phase of the team’s growth would focus on building self-confidence and nurturing greater ambition, especially among the younger players.
“To qualify two years in a row, there are always teams that would rather be where we are than go home already. So we are happy with that, but at the same time we are aiming for bigger things. This year that didn’t happen, but we will continue to give ourselves a chance by qualifying, and hopefully next year we will play stronger cricket in the bigger games. I think it’s about players taking the next step. Anushka [Sharma] had a good season for her freshman year. She got a lot of good starts, which is fantastic for a young player. The next step for her is realizing how good she is, and that she can be a 300+ run WPL player in the future,” said Klinger.
“She’s a fantastic player and person and she probably has a great chance of playing for India before next year’s WPL. I hope she does because that international experience will help her for us next year too. I thought Bharti [Fulmali] started the season very well and played some fantastic innings. Possibly the lower jump here (in Vadodara) didn’t really suit her, so she couldn’t get going. It’s more about belief – that they don’t just have to contribute but can dominate like some other Indian batters in the league. If they come in next year with that attitude, everything will be fine. Of course we have Yastika [Bhatia] next year, when she is fit and healthy, touch the wood, another quality Indian player will come along,” he added.
Everyone should work in a few areas: Klinger
From a bowling perspective, Klinger emphasized the importance of effort, balance and identifying areas for improvement. He cited the narrow victories over Delhi Capitals as clear evidence of the fighting spirit that the group deeply values. While he praised the fast bowlers for impressing when conditions suited them, he stressed the need for clearer plans once the swing was gone.
“The two wins against Delhi showed our fighting spirit – even when we were against them in the last six balls. We talk about that a lot. In our team room we have a big sign that says ‘fight’. We will definitely speak to all the players – maybe not tonight with emotions running high, but over time. Everyone is going back to domestic cricket, and there are areas that everyone can work on, whether it is our quick skills or our spinners,” Klinger said.
“I think our fast bowlers were really good when the ball was swinging. The next step for them as T20 bowlers is what their go-to option is when the ball stops swinging. That’s something they can work on. Happy Kumari is a fantastic young bowler. I’ve heard she hasn’t been picked for an upcoming national team, which I think is great because there aren’t many with her pace, line and length. I hope she continues to get opportunities because she has something special and she’s coming back to us next year, and we can really let her go,” he added.
Klinger acknowledged that specialist spinners Tanuja Kanwer and Rajeshwari Gayakwad did not play a significant role this season. Instead, the team relied more heavily on its all-rounders, a combination that provided better balance and proved effective for the franchise in most situations.
“Our spinners didn’t get that many overs this year – TK [Tanuja Kanwer] and Raj [Rajeshwari Gayakwad] – but that was more about our team composition. We had a lot of all-rounders: Ash [Gardner]Georgia [Wareham]Sophie Devine. Last year we didn’t have Georgia. With three overseas all-rounders bowling, it was not a reflection on the spinners but the way we balanced our overs,” Klinger concluded.
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