Maharani Trophy | Vrinda’s Hubli Tigers seizes the moment, shifts the momentum

After a crucial victory against Kalyani Bengaluru Blasters in the Maharani Trophy KSCA T20 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Tuesday, Hubli Tigers’ captain Vrinda Dinesh credited her side’s batting prowess as it rose to the top of the table with one match remaining.

After a 17-run victory against Mysore Warriors at the start of the tournament, the Tigers lost two consecutive matches to the Gulbarga Mystics and Blasters.

However, Vrinda & Co. turned their season around by winning the reverse fixtures against the Warriors and Blasters back-to-back.

“It was just about timing. We just had to click early on and the [twin victories] turned the momentum for us,” Vrinda told The Hindu as she alluded to the team’s patience in coming back strong after two losses.

The right-handed batter, alongside Niki Prasad and C. Prathyoosha, has been pivotal in Tigers’ recent victories. The 25-year-old has accumulated 170 runs at a tournament-leading strike rate of 170.

“As a team, we believe batting is our strength, and our bowling can defend any target,” the skipper stated. “In batting, we believe it’s Prathyoosha, me or Niki. If one of us is there throughout the 20 overs, the team will sail through.”

Vrinda also commended the role of the Tigers’ support staff in helping her improve as a leader.

“There’s something to learn in every game. There have been certain moments where they’ve told me, ‘you could’ve done something differently’ or something was really well done. These insights have helped me get better.”

With the Tigers now in a good position to qualify for Sunday’s final, Vrinda is focused on staying composed rather than looking too far ahead.

“Everybody in the team knows their roles, and it’s just about showing up on that particular day,” she signed off.