Lucknow: Meg Lanning made a strong comeback to the top of the Women’s Premier League run-scoring leaderboard after her impressive 92 runs off 57 balls in a loss to the Gujarat Giants on Friday night. This performance brought her career total in the WPL to 939 runs, with an average of 40.82.

Even though she’s retired from international cricket, Australia’s most successful captain continues to raise the bar, surpassing fellow Aussie Ellyse Perry (895 runs) in their ongoing race for batting dominance. Perry plays for Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Lanning’s efforts weren’t enough to clinch a win for the Capitals, as Ash Gardner’s Gujarat Giants secured a vital five-wicket victory. Still, she proved that her drive for runs is as fierce as ever, even after stepping back from international play in November 2023 at just 31 years old.

Known for blending grace with strength, she wrapped up her Australia career with an impressive 8,352 international runs and seven ICC trophies to her name.

“Meg’s still as competitive as ever. She’s determined to do everything possible to help the team win. You can see her disappointment when she doesn’t perform as well as she hopes; it’s clear in her reactions,” said Australia all-rounder Annabel Sutherland to HT before the season kicked off.

“She’s fully present when she’s on the field, which is great to see. Off the field, she seems a bit more laid-back compared to her international days, which is nice. But on the pitch, she’s still the same Meg.”

The pursuit expert

Numbers don’t fully capture the impact she has on the game. For more than ten years, Lanning has been a master at chasing down targets. Her knack for reading the field and finding boundaries with pinpoint accuracy hasn’t faded, even with less time on the pitch.

On Friday, Lanning was in fantastic form, outpacing Shafali Varma during the powerplay as they racked up 51 runs in the first six overs. Their 83-run opening partnership set a strong tone for the Capitals.

Even though the Giants managed to take a few wickets to slow things down, Lanning kept up her dominant performance, looking like she might be the first to score a century in the WPL before getting out on the second-to-last ball, helping DC reach 177/5.

Lisa Keightley, the former Aussie player and DC assistant coach, commented after the game: “She’s happily retired, but it really highlights the quality of player she is. It’s thrilling to still see her out there doing what she loves.”

“She enjoys being part of the WPL and coming to India. She approaches it all with a smile and knows exactly what she needs to do. From my perspective, she’s a very happy Meg who loves the game and is eager to share her knowledge with her teammates,” she added.

Getting a head start on retirement

Lanning opened up about how depression and not eating enough led to her early retirement. This shows she's a truly selfless player, with both talent and youth on her side, yet she recognized the importance of taking care of her mental and physical health.

While Sutherland mentioned she might be more relaxed now, her determination remains strong. After DC faced their second straight loss in the final last year, Lanning was seen alone, visibly upset as she processed the disappointment.

Despite her ongoing personal challenges, she's still a scoring machine. Before the WPL, she played for Victoria in the Women’s National Cricket League, racking up 358 runs with an impressive average of 51.14. Competing in these leagues before a big tournament like the WPL helps her get into the groove. Following another solid season, where she scored 263 runs in eight matches for the league leaders, Lanning has proven her consistency.

In tournaments like the WPL, her focus goes beyond just her performance; she aims to share her knowledge with younger players. The best way to inspire is through action, and Lanning’s journey and hard work offer some of the most valuable lessons the WPL can provide.

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