By Diptayan Hazra

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], March 7 (ANI): India all-rounder Sayali Satghare, currently playing for Gujarat Giants in the Women's Premier League (WPL), has set her sights on making the national squad for the upcoming ICC Women's Cricket World Cup. With the tournament set to be hosted in India this year, Satghare is determined to contribute to India's dream of lifting the trophy.

'First, the goal is to win the WPL trophy. Looking ahead, we have a home World Cup, and my dream is to be a part of that team and help India win,' Satghare told ANI.

'Playing a World Cup at home will be an incredible experience,' she added.

Satghare's rise in Indian cricket has been a story of perseverance. Reflecting on her journey, she recalled how she was initially picked as a replacement for Gujarat Giants last season but did not get a chance to play.

'After that, my focus was on working hard and improving in all aspects of my game. I spent the next three to four months pushing myself to get better,' she explained.

'Later, we had a camp at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), which led to my selection for India A's tour of Australia. I performed well there and followed it up with a strong domestic season. It has been a journey of ups and downs, but staying consistent and believing in myself has helped me. Playing for India has been a dream come true since childhood,' she added.

Playing for Gujarat Giants has been a valuable experience for Satghare, who spoke highly of the environment within the team.

'For the past two seasons, the franchise has taken great care of us. Being part of the WPL is a massive opportunity, especially playing alongside overseas players. You get to learn so much from them,' she said.

'Our foreign players have been incredibly supportive, always sharing their experiences. The coaching staff has also placed a lot of trust in us,' she noted.

The all-rounder praised Gujarat Giants' captain Ashleigh Gardner, highlighting her calm demeanour on the field.

'She's very composed, which helps us in tough situations. On the field, she constantly communicates with us about our game plans, making sure everything is clear,' Satghare noted.

She also spoke about wicketkeeper-batter Beth Mooney's influence.

'Beth Mooney is in exceptional form. From the time I have seen her play for Australia, I don't think I've ever seen a match where she hasn't scored. So, actually, we always talk to her about how she's consistent in any situation or any condition whether she's playing in Australia or India. When she's playing elsewhere, she's always scoring runs. So, we try to pick her mindset,' she said.

Among her teammates, Satghare mentioned the West Indies cricketer Deandra Dottin as someone she looks up to.

'Her self-belief is incredible. No matter the situation, she backs herself completely. That's something we can all learn from,' she added.

As an all-rounder, Satghare draws inspiration from Australian cricketing stars.

'Ellyse Perry has always been an inspiration, but currently, the all-rounder I admire most is Annabel Sutherland. She is young but makes significant contributions with both bat and ball. I really like how she approaches the game,' she said.

Gujarat Giants had an inconsistent start to the tournament but bounced back strongly. Satghare emphasized the team's focus on process over results.

'The key message in our dressing room is to stick to our plans rather than worry about outcomes. Even in the matches we lost, our bowling unit performed well. We knew that if we built strong partnerships in batting, the results would have been different,' she explained.

'No one dwelled on losses. Instead, we focused on the positives, which helped us regain momentum and win our last two matches,' she said. (ANI)