Gujarat Giants, led by skipper Ashleigh Gardner, entered the contest against Meg Lanning’s UP Warriorz on the back of a hat-trick of defeats. Both sides, searching for momentum in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026, were up against each other in the 14th game of the ongoing 4th edition of the tournament, as the action moved to the Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara.
The visiting UP Warriorz retained the same side, while the home side made a couple of changes: Danielle Wyatt-Hodge replaced Georgia Wareham, and Rajeshwari Gayakwad made her way back into the side, replacing Tanuja Kanwer. UP Warriorz skipper Meg Lanning won the toss and opted to bowl first. Gujarat Giants debutant Danielle Wyatt-Hodge (14 off 8 balls) smashed three boundaries before being cleaned up by Kranti Gaud in the 3rd over of the innings to provide the first breakthrough for UP Warriorz.
Gujarat Giants got decent partnerships heading into the middle phase of the innings. The wheels eventually came off towards the backend of the innings. Kashvee Gautam (11 off 6 balls) and Anushka Sharma (14 off 8 balls) chipped in with handy cameos. Sophie Devine registered a fighting half-century, her 2nd this season, as Gujarat Giants posted a competitive total of 153/8 in their quota of 20 overs. Beth Mooney (38 off 34 balls) played a vital hand at the top of the order. Kranti Gaud (4-0-18-2), Sophie Ecclestone (4-0-22-2), and Chloe Tryon (4-0-32-1) were impressive with the ball for the UP Warriorz.
Chasing the total of 154, on a tricky surface, a deflection of wicket-keeper Beth Mooney onto the stumps found Kiran Navgire (0 off 1 ball) short of her crease to extend her disappointing run in the season. Renuka Singh Thakur provided the first breakthrough for Gujarat Giants in the 1st over of the run chase, a dream start for the home side. Meg Lanning’s (14 off 10 balls) departure followed a similar pattern as the ball deflected off her thigh pad and onto her stumps in the 5th over of the innings, bowled by Kashvee Gautam, breaking a crucial 37-run stand for the 2nd wicket.
UP Warriorz never really recovered from the setback, as the pressure kept mounting courtesy of clinical efforts from Gujarat Giants bowling department and, in the field, forcing the opposition to switch to the panic button in the run chase. UP Warriorz were eventually bundled out for their 2nd lowest total (108 in 17.3 overs) in the history of the WPL. As a result, they fell 45 runs short of the target. Phoebe Litchfield (32 off 27 balls) and Chloe Tryon (30* off 22 balls) were the only other batters to enter the double digits with the bat for the Warriorz.
Renuka Singh (4-0-20-2), Sophie Devine (3.3-0-16-2), Rajeshwari Gayakwad (4-0-16-3), skipper Ashleigh Gardner (3-0-23-1), and Kashvee Gautam (3-0-31-1) were impressive with the ball for the Gujarat Giants. Skipper Ashleigh Gardner got the crucial scalp of Phoebe Litchfield. The Ashleigh Gardner-led Gujarat Giants finally returned to winning ways after a hat-trick of defeats. The commanding win also saw them jump to the 2nd spot with 6 points from 6 games, including 3 victories and 3 defeats in their campaign so far. They were placed at the bottom of the table (5th position) before the clash against UP Warriorz.
Top Performers: Gujarat Giants vs UP Warriorz
Sophie Devine
The inclusion of Danielle Wyatt-Hodge in the lineup meant Sophie Devine had to shift to the middle order at number 5. Sophie Devine joined wicket-keeper batter Beth Mooney at the crease with the Giants at 65/3 in the 10th over of the innings. The duo took them closer to the 100-run mark with a vital 28-run partnership for the 4th wicket. Sophie Devine went deeper into the innings as she kept losing partners at the other end. Devine (50* off 42 balls) assessed the conditions before unleashing the finishing touches towards the backend of the innings. Her knock included a couple of boundaries and 3 maximums. Her innings played a crucial role as the Gujarat Giants posted 153/8.
She was also outstanding with the ball for her side, returning with match figures of 3.3-0-16-2 in her spell, accounting for the scalps of Sophie Ecclestone and Kranti Gaud, cleaning up the tail of the UP Warriorz in quick time. Sophie Devine also bagged the purple cap with 11 wickets at an average of 16.09 and an economy of 8.10 in six innings and 6 matches with the ball for her side in the tournament so far.
Renuka Singh Thakur
The pace spearhead had her deserved share of luck going in her favour when the ball deflected off the wicket-keeper Beth Mooney onto the stumps, leading to the departure of Kiran Navgire on the 2nd ball of the innings, defending the total of 154, providing the dream start for her side. Throughout her spell (4-0-20-2), she kept her line and length tight on the stumps, not allowing the batters to free up their scoring areas. She also accounted for the scalp of Harleen Deol and gave away just 20 runs in her spell. She played a crucial role in building that pressure, pushing the required rate above 8 runs an over.
Rajeshwari Gayakwad
The experienced left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad made her way back into the side, replacing Tanuja Kanwer against UP Warriorz. She delivered a decisive spell (4-0-16-3), rediscovering her rhythm with the ball, capitalising on the pressure built by the new-ball bowlers, Renuka Singh in particular, alongside Kashvee Gautam in the powerplay. She accounted for crucial scalps of Deepti Sharma, wicket-keeper Shweta Sehrawat, and Asha Sobhana, breaking the back of the UP Warriorz middle-order. Gujarat Giants sealed the game by 45 runs and 15 balls to spare, to return to winning ways. Rajeshwari Gayakwad was awarded the Player of the Match.
Chloe Tryon
The destructive South African all-rounder Chloe Tryon (30* off 22 balls) was setting up the run chase nicely with a calculated innings. However, she was eventually left stranded at the non-striker’s end towards the backend of the innings. Her knock included 3 boundaries and a maximum. The UP Warriorz were eventually bundled out for their 2nd lowest total (108 in 17.3 overs) in the WPL, falling 45 runs short of the target. She was also impressive in her spell (4-0-32-1) with the ball for her side in the first innings, accounting for the scalp of Kanika Ahuja.
Kranti Gaud
The young pace-bowling sensation was a crucial part of India’s maiden ICC title at the senior level, the ODI World Cup triumph at home on 2nd November 2025. Kranti Gaud looked in her best rhythm so far in the ongoing season, delivering an impressive spell of 4-0-18-2, accounting for the crucial scalps of Danielle Wyatt-Hodge (14 off 8 balls) and in-form Anushka Sharma (14 off 8 balls) in the powerplay in the first innings. The Meg Lanning-led side fell 45 runs short of the target, pushing their fate for a spot in the playoffs out of their hands, having to now rely on other results, alongside winning their remaining couple of games, to stand a chance to progress to the next stage this season.
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