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One of many certainties within the ladies’s recreation over the past decade has been Meg Lanning that includes in a ultimate.
The Australian has featured in 14 finals thus far and has gained 9 of them, seven of which have been World Cups.
5 of these World triumphs for the Aussies have come underneath her captaincy – 4 T20 titles (2014, 2018, 2020 and 2023), and one ODI crown (2022). There’s a Commonwealth Video games gold medal on the pile too.
Her fortunes in franchise cricket, nonetheless, haven’t been the identical.
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When the Melbourne Stars made the ultimate within the sixth version (2020) of the Ladies’s Huge Bash League (WBBL), Lanning had an opportunity to ‘complete cricket.’
Nonetheless, Sydney Thunder stood in the best way. A deadly Shabnim Ismail eliminated openers Elyse Villani and Lanning and helped prohibit the Stars to 86/9 in 20 overs. Skipper Rachel Haynes then carried the aspect to the title.
File | Meg Lanning of the Stars seems to be dejected after being dismissed by Shabnim Ismail of the Thunder throughout the Ladies’s Huge Bash League Closing between the Melbourne Stars and the Sydney Thunder at North Sydney Oval, on November 28, 2020.
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File | Meg Lanning of the Stars seems to be dejected after being dismissed by Shabnim Ismail of the Thunder throughout the Ladies’s Huge Bash League Closing between the Melbourne Stars and the Sydney Thunder at North Sydney Oval, on November 28, 2020.
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Lanning has not made a WBBL ultimate since.
Delhi Capitals acquired her companies for the Ladies’s Premier League (WPL) and predictably made her captain. Such is the unimaginable, and albeit scary, popularity she has constructed for herself, not simply as a talented matchwinner with the bat however as a pacesetter as nicely.
In a league the place the scales have ever so usually tipped in favour of batters, Lanning has been on the helm of some mind-blowing defences within the final three seasons.
Closing hiccups
Below her management, DC has at all times topped the desk and thus secured direct qualification to the ultimate. Nonetheless, they’ve fallen brief in each makes an attempt to win the crown.
And there are patterns aplenty.
Making the summit conflict immediately meant a break in momentum. Within the ongoing version, there’s an eight-day hole between its final league match and the ultimate.
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Within the two title clashes they’ve been part of thus far, the Capitals – regardless of Herculean efforts on the sector – couldn’t put up totals large enough to assist their trigger.
Within the 2024 season, DC dominated the league and entered the ultimate because the title favorite.
Nonetheless, the defeat to eventual champion Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) seemingly broke one thing in Lanning.
Identified for her poker face and steely manner, that ultimate noticed a pacesetter– who has at all times been unfazed by folks and circumstance – in tears.
Lanning stood within the shadows with a towel held to her face, with the tears streaming down. It’s a sight that has stayed with many ever since.
She lastly tasted success in franchise cricket final yr with London Spirit in The Hundred, the place Lanning performed underneath Heather Knight’s captaincy.
Up in opposition to Welsh Hearth, the Australian legend was outsmarted as soon as extra by Ismail with the ball searing by her center stump. A workforce effort, together with an enormous six from Deepti Sharma with three balls to go, sealed the deal.
Heather Knight of London Spirit holds the trophy up after The Hundred Closing between London Spirit Ladies and Welsh Hearth Ladies at Lord’s Cricket Floor.
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Heather Knight of London Spirit holds the trophy up after The Hundred Closing between London Spirit Ladies and Welsh Hearth Ladies at Lord’s Cricket Floor.
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Getty Photos
The lows
In the midst of all of the globe-trotting, Lanning revealed her struggles with psychological well being, components she attributed to her shock worldwide retirement in 2023, months after she had gained the T20 World Cup in South Africa.
“I never opened up to people, I was a bit of a closed book. I was always very level. Didn’t go too high or too low. Made it look like everything was fine even when it wasn’t,” she had mentioned then.
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In the present day, Lanning is more healthy and, on the very least, at peace. However how do you turn off the competitor in you? How do you spend greater than a decade ruthlessly hacking down oppositions and boundaries after which swap to savouring life the gradual, romantic manner?
Cricket continues for the ace batter. Lanning has been energetic within the league ecosystem alongside duties for Victoria within the Ladies’s Nationwide Cricket League – Australia’s home 50-over ladies’s match.
A surprising supply from #KashveeGautam sends #MegLanning packing!
What a breakthrough!
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— Star Sports activities (@StarSportsIndia) February 25, 2025
Within the ongoing version of the WPL, Lanning the batter has appeared ‘human’ on a number of events. This has been a comparatively quieter season for the 32-year-old.
Within the inaugural version, she bagged the Orange Cup after plundering 345 runs. The next season, she racked up 331 runs with 4 50+ scores. This season, Lanning has managed 263 runs with three fifties to her identify.
This season has uncovered a weak spot to high quality tempo bowling. Of her seven dismissals this yr, six have been to the quicks.
Harmanpreet Kaur and Meg Lanning have been part of some legendary duels on the worldwide stage. India and Australia have at all times stored one another on their toes, as have these two captains. Identified for his or her aggression and their batting prowess, each have affected silent revolutions – yet another efficiently than the opposite – of their respective nations.
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Sportzpics for WPL
Harmanpreet Kaur and Meg Lanning have been part of some legendary duels on the worldwide stage. India and Australia have at all times stored one another on their toes, as have these two captains. Identified for his or her aggression and their batting prowess, each have affected silent revolutions – yet another efficiently than the opposite – of their respective nations.
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Sportzpics for WPL
It’s not all gloom and doom, although.
Lanning’s three half centuries – a 49-ball 69 vs UP Warriorz in Vadodara, an unbeaten 49-ball 60 in opposition to Mumbai in Bengaluru and a 57-ball 92 in opposition to Gujarat Giants in Lucknow – have been imposing knocks.
Lanning’s mastery on the off aspect, notably how she cuts the sector between cowl and gully, has been a sight for sore eyes. Classical cricket pictures, the mild flicks to the boundary and flawless operating between the wickets are all a part of the Lanning playbook the world has come to savour.
Her resilience discovered an admirer in Shafali Verma.
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“She hasn’t practised much in the last two years. She knows that she’s not in touch and understands that she needs to practice which really touched me mentally. I learn a lot from her every day but the biggest lesson is to stay positive during a rough patch,” mentioned Shafali, who’s herself working her manner again to the Indian workforce.
The suggestion of her batting mortality tickled Lanning forward of the 2025 WPL ultimate.
“This is an incredible tournament and unique in a lot of ways but what hasn’t changed for me is how competitive I am and how much I want to win,” she mentioned on matchday eve.
Lanning and Shafali have registered three 100-run stands for the Delhi Capitals.
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MURALI KUMAR Ok / The Hindu
Lanning and Shafali have registered three 100-run stands for the Delhi Capitals.
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MURALI KUMAR Ok / The Hindu
“That has never left me, regardless of what game I am playing or which team I am playing for. This year has been a little bit up and down but I think that’s T20 cricket for you. Some days it works, some days it doesn’t. The important part of T20 cricket is that we need to impact the game we’re playing next. I am confident I am going to want to win and help the team when I am playing next,” she added.
Factors of reference
Lanning is not any Brabourne rookie. Within the 4 video games she has performed at this venue within the 2023 version, she registered 164 runs with a 43-ball 72 in opposition to RCB being her highest rating.
In Australian colors, her final of seven matches right here was in 2018 within the ultimate of the T20 Triangular Collection in opposition to England the place she scored an unbeaten 88 off 45 balls.
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Lanning stitched a 139-run stand with Villani, placing at a blistering 195.55. She left the likes of Alyssa Healy (SR: 137), Ashleigh Gardner (SR: 165) and Villani (170) far behind. Her blitz powered Australia to 209/4, a complete England finally fell wanting by 57 runs.
In Australian colors, her final of seven matches right here was in 2018 within the ultimate of the T20 Triangular Collection in opposition to England the place she scored an unbeaten 88 off 45 balls.
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Vivek Bendre/ The Hindu
In Australian colors, her final of seven matches right here was in 2018 within the ultimate of the T20 Triangular Collection in opposition to England the place she scored an unbeaten 88 off 45 balls.
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Vivek Bendre/ The Hindu
Although England made the selection to discipline in that recreation, Lanning fairly relishes batting first anyway. She selected to bat in each of DC’s finals thus far. Used to the quantity 3 slot again then, Lanning is now one half of the ice-and-fire opening mixture with Shafali. Very similar to then, she has at her disposal one in all if not one of the best fielding sides within the league.
Her tenacity and the superior talent of her groups have allowed Lanning to elevate an enviable variety of trophies as a global cricketer.
It stays to be seen if that success interprets to the Delhi Capitals, on the third attempt no much less.
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