The Gujarat Giants have confirmed that Lea Tahuhu will be stepping in as a replacement for Lauren Cheatle in the upcoming Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2024.
Gujarat Giants of the Women’s Premier League have enlisted New Zealand’s fast bowler Lea Tahuhu as a replacement for the injured Australian player Lauren Cheatle. Cheatle, a left-arm pacer, recently had neck surgery and won’t be available for the upcoming WPL edition. She was acquired by GG for INR 30 lakh in the 2024 auction held last December.
On January 31, 2024, it was confirmed that Cheatle would miss the upcoming Women’s Premier League due to surgery for the removal of skin cancer from her neck, having undergone a similar procedure on her leg in 2021.
In place of Cheatle, the Gujarat Giants have announced Lea Tahuhu as her replacement, a seasoned New Zealand bowler with 173 international appearances for the White Ferns. Her tally includes 93 ODIs and 80 T20Is, where she has taken 109 and 78 wickets, respectively. Tahuhu will be joining the Gujarat Giants camp at the same base price for which Cheatle was signed in the WPL 2024 auction.
“Our thoughts are with our Australian pacer, Lauren Cheatle, who will miss the upcoming WPL season following a medical procedure. We’re rooting for her swift recovery,” Gujarat Giants wrote on X.
Lea Tahuhu did not find a buyer in the last two auctions of the Women’s Premier League, despite her inclusion in the ICC Women’s T20 Team of the Year 2017. She is a consistent player for the New Zealand women’s cricket team and holds a prominent position as one of the leading wicket-takers in the white-ball format for her team.
Lauren Cheatle has opted out of the 2024 WPL due to a recent surgery to remove skin cancer. Her absence will extend to the remainder of the domestic season, as confirmed by her Australian domestic team, New South Wales. This isn’t the first time the 25-year-old has undergone such a procedure, as she previously had surgery to remove skin cancer from her leg in 2021.
The upcoming 2024 Women’s Premier League is scheduled to kick off on February 23, 2024, at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The opening match will see a rematch of the previous edition’s final, with Mumbai Indians facing off against Delhi Capitals.
