In the third match of the inaugural Women's Premier League (WPL), Gujarat Giants (GG) will lock horns against Uttar Pradesh Warriroz (UPW) at the Dy Patel Stadium in Navi Mumbai on March 05 (Sunday). Gujarat suffered a 143-run defeat in the opening match of the season as Mumbai Indians registered a convincing victory. Beth Mooney's side seek a quick turnaround against Alyssa Healy's side, which will feature for the first time this season.
Giants' campaign started on a dismal note as skipper Mooney walked off the field owing to an injury while Harleen Doel was sent to pavilion in the very first over by Nat Sciver. Mooney sustained an injury in the first game of the tournament and her availability for Sunday's game is questionable. It will be a huge blow for Gujarat as they will not just lose the charismatic batter but also a talismanic leader.
For UPW, Healy will be instrumental behind the franchise's performance along with her deputy Deepti Sharma, who was picked for a whopping Rs 2.6 crore in the auction.
Warrioz's most expensive buy in the auction was England's left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone. Their pace attack will be led by the fastest pacer in women's cricket, South Africa's Shabnim Ismail. She was picked for Rs 1 crore. Australia's Tahlia McGrath will be the X-factor in their lineup. McGrath was picked for Rs 1.4 crore.
It will be interesting to see whether Devika Vaidya will be able to justify the Rs 1.4 crore price tag. The exciting prospects in the Warriroz squad include big-hitter Kiran Navgire and opener Shweta Sehrawat who created ripples in Under-19 T20 World Cup. Australia’s Grace Harris will also work as the pinch-hitter for them in middle overs.
Squads
UP Warriorz: Alyssa Healy (captain), Deepti Sharma (vice-captain), Sophie Ecclestone, Tahlia McGrath, Shabnim Ismail, Anjali Sarvani, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Parshavi Chopra, Shweta Sehrawat, S Yashasri, Kiran Navgire, Grace Harris, Devika Vaidya, Lauren Bell, Laxmi Yadav, Simran Shaikh
Gujarat Giants: Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney (captain), Sophia Dunkley, Annabel Sutherland, Harleen Deol, Kim Garth, Sneh Rana, S Meghana, Georgia Wareham, Mansi Joshi, Dayalan Hemalatha, Monica Patel, Tanuja Kanwer, Sushma Verma, Hurley Gala, Ashwani Kumari, Parunika Sisodia, Shabman Shakil.
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