Gujarat Giants Opt to Bowl First Against UP Warriorz in WPL 2025 Opener

Match Overview

In the second match of the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2025 season, Gujarat Giants' captain Meg Lanning won the toss and chose to field first against UP Warriorz. This exciting encounter is taking place at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai on Saturday.

Insights from UP Warriorz Coach

Ahead of their opening match, UP Warriorz Head Coach Abhishek Nayar shared insights on the strategic player acquisitions made during the WPL 2025 auction held on November 27. Notably, the team retained all-rounder Deepti Sharma for a substantial Rs 3.2 crore.

Deepti Sharma's Impact

During an interview on JioHotstar, Nayar expressed his satisfaction with securing Deepti Sharma, emphasizing her consistent performance over the years. He described acquiring her for Rs 3.5 crore as a remarkable deal, stating, "You rarely get a player who has performed consistently for so many years. Our thought process was simply to see how the auction unfolded. In many ways, our first retention was at Rs 3.5 crore, so getting her was essentially a steal for us. Deepti was always a priority. It's a steal you don't often see in Indian cricket. We're always happy to have her back."

Sophie Ecclestone's Acquisition

Sophie Ecclestone was acquired by the Warriorz using the Right To Match (RTM) card for Rs 85 lakh. Nayar noted that securing Ecclestone was a pleasant surprise, as they had anticipated spending Rs 1.8 crore. He remarked, "I think most players went for the numbers we had prepared for. But Sophie Ecclestone was a surprise for us. She's a marquee player and someone who has delivered for years. I had kept Rs 1.8 crore in mind, so getting her at Rs 85 lakh was a big surprise. I believe the timing worked in our favour."

Playing XIs

The playing XI for UP Warriorz includes: Deandra Dottin, Meg Lanning(c), Phoebe Litchfield, Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Kiran Navgire, Shweta Sehrawat(w), Asha Sobhana, Sophie Ecclestone, Shikha Pandey, Kranti Gaud.

For Gujarat Giants, the playing XI features: Sophie Devine, Beth Mooney(w), Ashleigh Gardner(c), Anushka Sharma, Kanika Ahuja, Bharti Fulmali, Georgia Wareham, Kashvee Gautam, Tanuja Kanwar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Renuka Singh Thakur.