Giants look to end losing streak against fired-up Warriorz

UP Warriorz (UPW) are at interesting crossroads in WPL 2026. They started the season with three straight losses. They are primarily responsible for handing Mumbai Indians (MI) three consecutive losses (UPW won two of those), and they now run into Gujarat Giants (GG), who are desperate to end their streak of three back-to-back defeats. In registering another victory on Thursday, UPW also have a chance to put on board three consecutive wins.

Hang on, it's also going to be the third match in Vadodara this WPL. The tracks there have so far proved to be much slower and lower compared to the ones at DY Patil Stadium, which has led to lower totals and made chasing a score like 155 also tricky on Tuesday night. The two teams that now face off there have been the most expensive so far with the ball, GG's economy rate being the worst (9.61) and UPW's second at 9.07. GG have already played a game there - against table-toppers RCB - when the load of scoring runs again fell on captain Ash Gardner, and throughout the season too they have largely been dependent on their overseas contingent for runs.

On a pitch that will likely aid spinners more, the UPW spin quartet of Deepti Sharma, Sophie Ecclestone, Chloe Tryon and Asha Sobhana will be licking their lips to make inroads into GG's line-up. GG come into this game after two deflating losses to RCB, where in both games they had the chance to restrict RCB to lower totals after early wickets but their bowlers failed to sustain the pressure.

Now placed at the bottom, even though on the same points with three other teams, the pressure is on GG to score more runs and not leak as many before time runs out.

GG's promising batter Anushka Sharma returned to action in the last game which solidifies their Indian presence in the XI. They have tried all the Indian players from their squad so far, barring pace bowler Titas Sadhu.

Gujarat Giants (possible): 1 Beth Mooney (wk), 2 Sophie Devine, 3 Anushka Sharma, 4 Ash Gardner, 5 Georgia Wareham, 6 Kanika Ahuja, 7 Bharti Fulmali, 8 Kashvee Gautam, 9 Tanuja Kanwar, 10 Rajeshwari Gayakwad, 11 Renuka Singh

In an otherwise settled line-up, UPW's main issue is the lack of runs from Kiran Navgire who has two ducks in her last three knocks and averages a mere 3.20 this WPL. Will they give her more chances or bring in the promising 20-year-old G Trisha?

UP Warriorz (possible): 1 Meg Lanning, 2 Kiran Navgire/G Trisha, 3 Phoebe Litchfield, 4 Harleen Deol, 5 Chloe Tryon, 6 Deepti Sharma, 7 Shweta Sehrawat, 8 Sophie Ecclestone, 9 Asha Sobhana, 10 Shikha Pandey, 11 Kranti Gaud

Renuka Singh made the switch from RCB to GG before this season and even though she has picked up only five wickets so far, she has been GG's most economical bowler, going at 8.05 an over. The track in Vadodara may not favour quick bowlers that much - as Marizanne Kapp said on Tuesday - but swing bowlers have been getting some assistance there at the start. If she can use her inswingers effectively up front especially to trouble Meg Lanning, like Nicola Carey did in two games, it could make GG's job easier to contain UPW.

Such was Shweta Sehrawat's promise that she was the only player UPW retained before the mega auction a few months ago. She has, however, scored just 36 runs from four knocks to average a forgettable 9.00. She has been batting at Nos. 5 and 6 this time and runs from her could ease some burden off the shoulders of Lanning, Litchfield and Harleen Deol.

All teams have chosen to bowl so far this WPL, and that's unlikely to change given the dew and how chasing in tough conditions will give the team batting second a better idea of how to go about their innings. The team totals are probably not going to be as high as we saw at the DY Patil although players like Sophie Devine, Phoebe Litchfield and Bharti Fulmali.

These two teams had faced off more than ten days ago, in the second game of this season. That was when GG were scoring big totals - they put up 207 - and UPW got close to it, in a 10-run loss.