WPL 2023: GUJ-W vs UP-W 17th Match – Predicted Gujarat Giants Women Playing XI vs UP Warriorz Women

Gujarat Giants. (Photo Source: Twitter/WPL)

Gujarat Giants were handed a massive loss at the hands of a dominant Royal Challengers Bangalore, who beat them comprehensively by eight wickets. Despite starting off well in the contest, Gujarat were unable to defend their competitive total of 188 runs.

Bowlers endured a rather forgettable evening as they leaked runs at a massive rate as Sophie Devine hammered 99 off 36 to steer her side to a comfortable win. On the other hand, UP Warriorz are riding high on the back of a massive win against table-toppers Mumbai Indians.

The Warriorz successfully ended Mumbai’s five-match winning streak and earned the well-deserved two points. The focus now shifts to their penultimate game as they play Gujarat Giants in match 17 of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) at the Brabourne Stadium on March 20. It remains to be seen if the Warriorz can inch closer for a spot in the top three or if the Giants dent their chances of making it to the play-offs.

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

Openers: Sophia Dunkley, Laura Wolvaardt

The WPL has witnessed glimpses of Dunkley’s aggressive batting exploits. However, she has been inconsistent in the last few games. On the other hand, Laura Wolvaardt produced her best knock in the previous match against RCB.

Wolvaardt’s 42-ball 68 steered the side to get to a competitive total but she ended up on the losing side. Considering the likes of Dunkley and Wolvaardt in the top-order, Gujarat have a formidable opening pair but require both to fire in tandem.

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

Slotted in the no. 3 spot, Sabbhineni Meghana played a sedate knock in her last outing as she got 31 off 32 balls. She has the potential to get the big runs but has failed to convert her innings into big scores on numerous occasions. Meghana would want to change that against UP Warriorz in the upcoming match.

Dayalan Hemalatha and Sushma Verma are yet to fire for the Giants. The side will need the duo to fire especially during the latter stages of the game in order to get a competitive total. Harleen Deol played just five balls against RCB and remained unbeaten as she scored 12 runs. While, she has proven to be a lethal hitter of the ball, it remains to be seen if she can display her aggressive side with the bat in the upcoming clash.

All-rounders: Ashleigh Gardner, Sneh Rana (c), Kim Garth

Ashleigh Gardner scored a quickfire 26-ball 41 as she got six boundaries and a maximum to her name against RCB. However, she proved to be costly with the ball, leaking runs 48 runs in three overs. Despite this, she has been an integral member of the squad who can single-handedly change the complexion of the game.

Skipper Sneh Rana and Kim Garth have been able to take the wickets and restrict the rival side from scoring big to some extent. However, with the strong UP batting line-up, the duo will need to push hard to restrict the rival team from going overboard.

Bowlers: Tanuja Kanwar, Ashwani Kumari

Tanuja Kanwar and Ashwani Kumari had an evening to forget after a disastrous bowling performances led to RCB’s sensational win. While Tanuja was hammered for 50 runs in three overs, Ashwani got just one over and leaked 18 runs.

The UP Warriorz batting unit would undoubtedly target the Giants in the forthcoming game as they are in a tussle with the latter for the third spot. However, Tanuja and Ashwani will need to up the ante and put their best foot forward against the Warriorz.

Gujarat Giants (GUJ-W) Playing XI:

Sophia Dunkley, Laura Wolvaardt, Harleen Deol, Ashleigh Gardner, Dayalan Hemalatha, Sabbhineni Meghana, Sushma Verma (wk), Kim Garth, Sneh Rana (c), Tanuja Kanwar, Ashwani Kumari