No pressure but motivated to do well for Warriorz in WPL: Deepti Sharma

Mumbai, Dec 2 (PTI) After getting retained by UP Warriorz for Rs 3.2 crore ahead of the upcoming Women's Premier League, star Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma said there is no pressure of paycheque on her and, if anything, it motivates her to do well in the fourth edition of the tournament.

The player of the tournament for India in the Women's ODI World Cup was released by Warriorz ahead of the auction, but she was retained via right to match option by the franchise.

“There is no pressure, but there is definitely motivation because when there is a high bid on you and so many people are watching and following you and you do well for your franchisee,” Deepti told the media on the sidelines of the CII Big Picture Summit here.

“I don't take it as any pressure. I look to enjoy. I like to deliver in tough moments for my team and enjoy it as well," she added.

Talking about her retention, Deepti said her family was happy to see her back in the team of her home state.

“Of course, they (family) liked it a lot and they were very happy. They are waiting for the WPL to start and were just cheering. And when they came to know about the right to match, they were very happy because I am from UP and that I would go back to the UP team and get another opportunity to play there,” she said.

“I went to the same franchise, and the management is very good and supportive. Especially the owners — they show a lot of trust in me. They always feel that if I am playing, I will do something good for the team, whether it is bowling or batting,” she added.

The India all-rounder said her focus was on strike-rate and shot selection during the Women’s World Cup, in which she claimed 22 wickets, besides taking a five-for and a vital 55 in the final against South Africa.

“Before going into the World Cup, I focused a lot on my shots and especially on my natural game. The more naturally I can play, the better it will be for the team.

"If you can hit one ball in three different ways, it is better. I worked a lot on my strike rate and on how I can get more runs for the team,” she said. PTI DDV UNG