Beth Mooney has suffered a disastrous start to her Women\u2019s Premier League career, being taken to hospital after suffering a knee injury as her Gujarat Giants were thrashed in the inaugural match in the Indian league.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
A week after scooping player of the match honours in Australia\u2019s third consecutive T20 World Cup win<\/a>, Mooney was making history as captain of the Giants in the inaugural WPL match against Harmanpreet Kaur\u2019s Mumbai Indians in India.<\/p>\n But the day ended disastrously for the opener, who injured her knee in the first over of the Giants\u2019 innings and had to be attended to on the pitch before being taken off the ground and then ferried to hospital in a waiting ambulance.<\/p>\n The extent of the injury remains unclear \u2013 it was reported by news agencies and on the Cricket Australia website as a knee problem, although the Giants\u2019 own site has it as a twisted ankle.<\/p>\n Regardless, the Giants will be sweating on the availability of Mooney, who they signed as their inaugural captain for $350,000 for the three-week tournament.<\/p>\n The Giants, who also picked up Ash Gardner for $558,000 \u2013 after winning a furious bidding war for the most expensive international in the league \u2013 will be keen to have Mooney back ahead of their clash against the UP Warriorz on Monday morning (AEDT), who are captained by her Australian opening partner and fellow \u2018keeper Alyssa Healy. <\/p>\n They will also be looking for a stronger result after their drubbing at the hands of the Indians.<\/p>\n Mumbai and India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur smashed 14 fours in her 65 (30) to take her team to 5-207, the equal second-highest women\u2019s T20 score of all time.<\/p>\n Her bowlers then left the Giants reeling, dismissing them for 9-64 in reply, their innings lasting just 15.1 overs.<\/p>\n \u201cWe kept things simple and clear. Told players to play natural,\u201d player-of-the-match Kaur said.<\/p>\n Left-arm orthodox bowler Saika Ishaque finished with 4-11 from 3.1 overs, while internationals Nat Sciver-Brunt and Amelia Kerr took two wickets each.<\/p>\n The Giants, who are coached by former international Rachael Haynes, have invested heavily in Australians but there was little to write home about for any of them in the opening match.<\/p>\n Gardner fell for a duck, while Annabel Sutherland made 6 and Georgia Wareham 8 in the Giants\u2019 innings.<\/p>\n Gardner finished with 1-38 from her four overs and while Wareham also finished with a wicket, she and Sutherland were expensive, going for 10 runs an over from their three overs with the ball.<\/p>\n Originally published as Beth Mooney taken to hospital with suspected knee injury<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n