WPL 2023: RCB-W vs GUJ-W 16th Match – Predicted Gujarat Giants Women Playing XI vs Royal Challengers Bangalore Women

Gujarat Giants. (Photo Source: Twitter/WPL)

The inaugural season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2023 hasn’t fared well for Gujarat Giants so far. The team has played six games so far and have only managed to win two of them. Things went south for Gujarat right from the start of the competition, as they lost skipper Beth Mooney to an injury in the very first match of the WPL.

They won their first match of the tournament against Royal Challengers Bangalore, which was followed up with two back-to-back losses to Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians. Keeping their hopes for qualification alive, Gujarat Giants clinched their second victory of the tournament against Delhi Capitals on Thursday, March 16.

They will next take on Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 16th match of the tournament on Saturday, March 18, at the Brabourne Stadium. The Sneh Rana-led side will be looking to register their third win of the tournament to keep their qualification hopes alive.

Here is Gujarat Giants’ predicted XI for the match against Royal Challengers Bangalore-

Openers: Laura Wolvaardt, Sophia Dunkley

Laura Wolvaardt finally showed why she was brought into the side for the injured skipper Mooney. In their previous game against Delhi Capitals, Wolvaardt was influential for her side as she managed to score 57 runs off 45 deliveries and helped Gujarat notch up some much needed runs on the board.

Sophia Dunkley is coming off a string of poor performances. In her previous outing, she only scored four runs. However, her knock of 65 runs against RCB in their first win of the tournament could make the selectors invest in her talent once again as she looks to improve in their upcoming game.

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

Harleen Deol has undoubtedly been one of the finest players for Gujarat Giants so far. She scored 31 runs off 33 deliveries in their previous outing. Her performances with the bat have been influential for her side, and she will hope she can come through in the next game as well.

Dayalan Hemalatha looked to be in good form at the start of the tournament, but her form seems to have taken a hit as she has been unable to perform in recent matches. She was dismissed after scoring just one run in their previous game; she will hope that she can regain her form and contribute towards Gujarat’s quest to the playoffs.

The same has been the case for Sushma Verma, as the wicketkeeper batter would be desperate to improve upon her performances in the upcoming games. She didn’t get the chance to bat in Gujarat’s previous match against Delhi.

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

The all-rounders of the team have been at their best throughout the tournament, Ashleigh Gardener played an unbeaten knock of 51 runs in their previous game, and after her performance with the bat, she even went on to take two wickets to seal the victory for her side.

Sneh Raha has been doing a decent job as the stand-in skipper ever since Beth Mooney injured herself. Despite not getting to bat in their previous game, Sneh Rana took a wicket and conceded 27 runs to hinder the run chase for Delhi Capitals. Her leadership is proving to be integral for Gujarat in their quest for qualification.

Despite not being able to perform with the bat so far, Kim Garth has been integral for Gujarat with the ball. She performed fabulously in her previous game, taking two wickets and conceding just 18 runs in four overs to stop Delhi Capitals from chasing the target.

Bowlers: Mansi Joshi, Tanuja Kanwar, Ashwani Kumari

Mansi Joshi’s subpar performances continued, as she only managed to bowl one over and was unable to take any wickets. Her form has not been up to par, and she will be looking to heavily improve upon it in the next game against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Tanuja Kanwar, however, has been on the other end of the spectrum. After taking a wicket against Mumbai Indians, she took two against Delhi Capitals as well and played an important role in preventing the side from chasing the target. Ashwani Kumari was not given a chance to bowl in the previous game, but she might continue in the next game and showcase her skills.

Gujarat Giants (GUJ-W):

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