WPL 2023: UP-W vs GUJ-W 3rd Match - Predicted Gujarat Giants Women Playing XI vs UP Warriorz Women

After kickstarting the proceedings with a loss against Mumbai Indians in the first match of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), Gujarat Giants play their second consecutive fixture against the UP Warriorz. The two sides will square off at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai on Sunday, March 5.

Notably, Gujarat did not quite get the start they wished for as things went down south with the ball in the match against Mumbai. In any case, Gujarat will look to put up an improved performance when they play the Warriorz from UP.

Meanwhile, Alyssa Healy and Co. play their first game of the inaugural edition and will aim to kickstart their campaign on a winning note. While, there is plenty to look forward to and quite a few exciting sub-plots attached to the clash, it will be interesting to witness what transpires on the field on Sunday.

Here is Gujarat Giants’ predicted XI for the match against UP Warriorz-

Openers: Sabbhineni Meghana, Sophia Dunkley

Sabbhineni Meghana has shown glimpses of what she is capable of with her willow. However, inconsistency in her performances has hindered her flow in the national team, keeping her in and out of action for India. While the WPL remains a great platform for the batter to step up, the onus is on her to bring out her ‘A’-game. 

After warming the bench in the first match, Sophia Dunkley will be raring to get an opportunity and play a vital role in the side. While the skipper and the management could decide to give a nod to the English star in the forthcoming clash, Dunkley will need to hit the ground running considering that the matches come thick and fast.

Middle Order: Harleen Deol, Dayalan Hemalatha, Sushma Verma (wk)

28-year-old Dayalan Hemalatha will look to grab the opportunity of playing the WPL with both hands. Playing for India D in the Senior Women's T20 Challenger Trophy, Hemalatha did not get too many runs on the board for her side. Despite this, she holds the potential to keep the scoreboard ticking and carve out some fine performances. 

Harleen Deol played a vital knock in the Tri-Series prior to the T20 World Cup against South Africa when she carved out a delicate 56-ball 46. However, in the first match against Mumbai, she was sent packing for a duck and will be gunning to return in scintillating form.

Considering Beth Mooney’s injury, the management will likely slot in Sushma Verma as their wicketkeeper-batter. The 30-year-old is quite sharp behind the stumps and has earned a lot of praise for her immaculate glove work. She would look to put her best foot forward in the forthcoming match.

All-rounders: Ashleigh Gardner, Sneh Rana, Kim Garth

Ash Gardner is undoubtedly a vital cog in the bowling unit but she also has the ability to carve out knocks which can tilt the game in her team’s favour. Furthermore, after having assessed the conditions in the first match, she will aim to get back in form when the side plays UP Warriorz on Sunday.

Sneh Rana and Annabel Sutherland are the two all-rounders who came down the middle-order in the previous game. Both proved to be costly with the ball in the first match as they leaked runs at an economy of over 10.00. With this, the side could experiment with the likes of Kim Garth in the forthcoming clash against UP. Despite her underwhelming run lately, Kim has the potential to play a vital role and will look to do just that when given a chance.

Bowlers: Mansi Joshi, Monica Patel, Georgia Wareham

The trio of Mansi Joshi, Monica Patel, and Tanuja Kanwar got just two overs each in the previous clash against Mumbai. Considering the small boundaries at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, the rival batters targeted bowlers with ease.

Mansi and Tanuja were relatively decent as compared to the rest as they returned economies of 8.50 and 6.00 respectively. While there is a lot at stake considering the side is slotted to play matches swiftly, the bowlers will need to be on their feet to help compete for the title.

Georgia Wareham endured a poor outing against Mumbai as she leaked 30 runs in her three overs with an economy of 10.00. She will aim to return in blazing form in the upcoming game.

Gujarat Giants Predicted Playing XI: Sabbhineni Meghana, Harleen Deol, Ashleigh Gardner, Sushma Verma (wk), Kim Garth, Dayalan Hemalatha, Sophia Dunkley, Sneh Rana (c), Tanuja Kanwar, Monica Patel, Mansi Joshi