The Gujarat Giants, a team known for their resilience, clinched their second victory in the Women's Premier League, outplaying the UP Warriorz by a margin of eight runs in a fiercely contested match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. This defeat dealt a severe blow to the Warriorz's playoff aspirations, pushing them perilously close to elimination from the tournament.
Opting to bat first, the Gujarat Giants capitalized on a splendid half-century by their captain, Beth Mooney, who remained unbeaten with a well-crafted 74 runs off 52 deliveries. Supported by Laura Wolvaardt, who contributed a brisk 43 off just 30 balls, the Giants got off to a solid start with a partnership of 60 runs for the opening wicket. However, they stumbled in the middle overs, losing wickets at regular intervals to post a total of 152 for the loss of 8 wickets in their allotted 20 overs.
Despite notable contributions from Ashleigh Gardner and Kathryn Bryce, the Giants found themselves under pressure, courtesy of a commendable bowling display by Sophie Ecclestone and Deepti Sharma, who shared five crucial wickets between them.
In pursuit of 153 runs for victory and a spot in the playoffs, the UP Warriorz encountered early setbacks, losing key wickets including their captain Alyssa Healy, Kiran Navgire, and Chamari Athapaththu within the first two overs, leaving them reeling at 4/3. However, Deepti Sharma emerged as a lone warrior for the Warriorz, displaying exceptional batting prowess with an unbeaten 88 runs off 60 deliveries, well-supported by Poonam Khemnar's valiant 36 off 26 balls. Despite their resilience, the Warriorz fell short by eight runs, owing to an excellent bowling performance by Shabnam M.D, who claimed three crucial wickets for just 11 runs in her allotted four overs.
Although Deepti Sharma showcased an impressive innings, completing her half-century in 44 balls and stitching a crucial partnership of 109 runs for the sixth wicket, the uphill task proved too daunting for the Warriorz in the end.
With this victory, the Gujarat Giants asserted their dominance in the tournament, while the UP Warriorz faced an uphill battle to stay afloat in the competition.
