In an intense low-scoring thriller at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Dehradun, Dehradun Warriors Women (DW-W) won the toss and elected to field against Bageshwar Aerial Women (BA-W) in the 5th match of the Women’s Uttarakhand Premier League (WUPL) 2026.
Bageshwar Aerial Women endured a shaky start to their innings, suffering an early setback when opener Megha Saini was run out by Amisha Bahukhandi and Sweta Verma for just 2 off 6 balls. Nandhini Kaushik anchored one end with a steady 27 off 55 balls (3 fours), but found little support at the top order. Sona Badola managed only 2 off 8 balls before being caught by Bahukhandi off Yashi’s bowling. Nirjala Mehra struggled to get going, scoring 7 off 19 balls before being retired out. Captain Prema Rawat could only add 5 off 11 balls, falling caught by Bhardwaj off Dhara Rawat.
Kanchan Parihar injected some momentum into the middle order, scoring a vital 19 off 20 balls with two boundaries and a six, partnering with Kaushik before Parihar was caught by Bhardwaj off Vaishali Tulera. Kanika Negi chipped in with a brisk 17 off 9 balls (1 four, 1 six) before falling run out by Yashi. Down the order, Aradhana Chauhan scored an aggressive 11 off 9 balls (1 four, 1 six) before being caught by Verma off Yashi. Ritika Supyal was run out for a duck without facing a ball, while Deveshi remained unbeaten on 0 off 1 ball. Bageshwar Aerial Women were restricted to 98/9 in their allotted 20 overs.
For Dehradun Warriors Women, the bowling unit delivered a disciplined performance to keep the scoring under control. Yashi was the standout bowler, taking 3 wickets for 14 runs in her 4 overs. Dhara Rawat maintained excellent control with 2 for 15 in her 4 overs, including a maiden. Vaishali Tulera chipped in with 1 for 17 in 3 overs. Minakshi Joshi (0/8 in 3 overs), Amisha Bahukhandi (0/32 in 4 overs), and Safina Aziz (0/11 in 2 overs) all contributed effectively to complete the bowling effort.
Chasing a target of 99, Dehradun Warriors Women started cautiously. Openers Sweta Verma (captain and keeper) and Muskan Kumari added a few early runs before Verma was caught by Badola off Kanika Negi for 7 off 13 balls. Muskan Kumari scored 8 off 15 balls (1 four) before falling caught to Rita. Middle-order batter Neelam Naresh Bhardwaj played a game-changing, match-winning knock, holding the chase together with an unbeaten 48 off 39 balls, including 6 boundaries and a six.
Bhardwaj found steady support from Kareena Singh, who contributed a crucial 18 off 23 balls (2 fours, 1 six) before being caught by Saini off Ritika Supyal. Impact player Preeti Bhandari made 8 off 13 balls, while Amisha Bahukhandi was run out for 2 off 2 balls by Rita. Tara Bisht was caught by Chauhan off Supyal for 1 off 3 balls. Vaishali Tulera joined Bhardwaj to see the team through, scoring 4 off 1 ball as Dehradun Warriors Women reached 99/6 in 18.1 overs to seal a hard-fought 4-wicket victory.
Bageshwar Aerial Women’s bowlers put up a spirited fight despite defending a modest target. Ritika Supyal led the attack with 2 wickets for 22 runs in her 4 overs. Rita was economical, taking 1 for 19 in her 4 overs. Kanika Negi picked up 1 for 21 in 3.1 overs, while Lavdhri Parihari bowled tight spells to finish with 0 for 8 in 2 overs. Prema Rawat (0/19 in 4 overs) and Deveshi (0/8 in 1 over) rounded out the bowling effort.
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