Deepti Sharma’s UP Warriorz kick off their campaign against a hurting Giants team
After being unable to defend 204 in their opening game, Ashleigh Gardner’s Gujarat Giants will be looking to get on the board when they face UP Warriorz with the latter in the campaign.
Ahead of the third Women’s Premier League match between Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz, here’s our match preview and predictions.
Women’s Premier League 2025 Match 3 | Group Stage | Gujarat Giants vs UP Warriorz I 19:30 IST, February 16th
The Giants had a strong outing with the bat as Beth Mooney and Ashleigh Gardner found runs right from the get-go. The Giants have plenty of experience in the batting lineup with the likes of Laura Wolvaardt, Deandra Dottin and Harleen Deol and if the remainder click, Gardner’s girls should be in for another big batting performance. What let the Giants down though, was their bowling. The Giants’ Indian bowlers, all four used by Gardner, went for runs, which would be a concern for the Giants. While Gardner chipped in with a couple of wickets, as did Dottin, although the Windies star got some beating, the Giants’ bowling department looks a bit thin. With not much depth in the bowling lineup either, Gardner will need her frontline bowlers to step up.
UP Warriorz will see Indian allrounder Deepti Sharma lead them with a strong international core. Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu, Kiran Navgire, Tahlia McGrath Grace Harris and Sharma herself will be key with the bat while Shweta Sehrawat and Poonam Khemnar are the squad’s key Indian batters. The Warriorz boast of a host of allrounders including Athapaththu, Sharma, Harris and McGrath with their new signing, Alana King, who is coming off a splendid Ashes series will be key along with Sharma and Sophie Ecclestone for the Warriorz in the middle overs.
The Vadodara strip has already brought about plenty of runs, which it should once again and although the Warriorz have had the Giants’ number in this match-up, we have the Gujarat Giants as the favourites.
Fantasy XI: Laura Wolvaardt, Beth Mooney, Chamari Athapaththu, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Deandra Dottin, Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Alana King, Tanuja Kanwar, Sophie Ecclestone
Venue: Vadodara, Gujarat
Winners Prediction: Gujarat Giants
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