Gujarat Giants rise to second place after Rajeshwari Gayakwad’s impressive 3-16 performance against UP Warriorz. Discover the match highlights!
Introduction:
On a cool January evening at the BCA Stadium, the Gujarat Giants finally rediscovered their championship identity. After a grueling stretch of three consecutive defeats that saw them languishing at the bottom of the table, the Giants produced a comprehensive all-round performance to dismantle the UP Warriorz by 45 runs.
The 14th match of the 2026 Women’s Premier League (WPL) was defined by the resurgence of a veteran and the masterclass of a specialist. Sophie Devine, who had struggled for runs throughout the early stages of the tournament, anchored the Giants’ innings with a gritty, unbeaten 50. Her efforts, combined with a spin-bowling clinic led by Rajeshwari Gayakwad, propelled Gujarat from the basement of the standings to the second spot in the points table, reigniting their playoff ambitions.
A Shaky Start and the Tactical Pivot
The match began with UP Warriorz captain Meg Lanning winning the toss and electing to bowl first, a decision that initially looked inspired. The Giants’ camp, desperate for a change in fortune, had opted to shuffle their deck, pushing Devine down to number four and bringing in Danni Wyatt-Hodge to open alongside Beth Mooney.
The move faced an immediate litmus test as Kranti Gaud, the Warriorz’ rising pace star, struck early. Gaud’s ability to find movement off a relatively fresh surface saw her remove Wyatt-Hodge for 14, leaving the Giants at 52/2 by the end of the power play. While Mooney looked solid, accumulating a steady 38 off 34 balls, the middle-order appeared fragile. When captain Ashleigh Gardner fell cheaply for 5, cleaned up by a skidding delivery from Deepti Sharma, the Giants were 65/3 and staring at another sub-par total.
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The Sophie Devine Show: Anchoring the Surge
Walking in under immense pressure after three successive single-digit scores, Sophie Devine played an innings of immense tactical maturity. Rather than the explosive “blitzkrieg” style she is known for, the New Zealand legend chose to absorb the pressure. On a pitch that offered significant grip to the spinners, Devine and Mooney navigated the middle overs with caution, focusing on strike rotation.
However, the “Devine Show” truly began in the final four overs. After being dropped on 35 by Phoebe Litchfield—a moment that would prove costly for the Warriorz—Devine shifted gears. She targeted the final over, bowled by Shikha Pandey, smashing two towering sixes over the mid-wicket boundary. Her unbeaten 50 off 42 deliveries (comprising three sixes and two fours) lifted the Giants to 153/8, a total that many experts deemed “more than competitive” on the sluggish Vadodara track.
Warriorz’ Chase: A Meltdown in the Powerplay
Defending 154, the Giants’ bowling unit began with an intensity that mirrored their desperation to win. The UP Warriorz’ chase never truly left the hangar. In a bizarre opening over, Kiran Navgire overbalanced while attempting to flick a wide delivery from Renuka Singh Thakur and was stumped for a golden duck.
The misfortune for the Warriorz continued when the legendary Meg Lanning was dismissed for 14 in another slice of bad luck, the ball deflecting off her pads onto the stumps. Within five overs, the Warriorz were 39/2. Phoebe Litchfield provided the only real resistance for the top order, striking five boundaries in her 32-run cameo, but once Gardner dismissed her in the eighth over, the floodgates opened.
Gayakwad’s Comeback: The Spin Masterclass
If Devine was the architect of the first innings, Rajeshwari Gayakwad was the executioner in the second. Returning to the playing XI after a stint on the sidelines, the veteran left-arm spinner utilized the conditions perfectly.
Gayakwad turned the game decisively in the tenth over, trapping Deepti Sharma (4) leg-before-wicket. She followed this up by deceiving Shweta Sehrawat with a flight, leading to a simple stumping for Mooney. Gayakwad’s figures of 3/16 in four overs effectively broke the back of the chase. Her rhythm and control were impeccable, conceding only 16 runs while maintaining an economy rate of 4.00, earning her the Player of the Match award.
“I got an opportunity to play after a long time and just wanted to keep it simple,” Gayakwad said during the post-match ceremony. “The wicket helped, and once we got the early breakthroughs, the pressure did the rest.”
A Lone Fight and the Final Blow
The only flickering flame in the Warriorz’ innings was Chloe Tryon. The South African powerhouse attempted to bridge the widening gap with an unbeaten 30 off 22 balls, including three fours and a solitary six. However, she lacked support from the other end as the lower order collapsed under the combined pressure of Gardner, Renuka Singh, and a rejuvenated Devine.
Fittingly, it was Devine who finished the contest. In the 18th over, she castled Kranti Gaud with a full delivery, bundling out the Warriorz for 108 in 17.3 overs. The 45-run victory was not just a win for Gujarat; it was a psychological exorcism of their recent failures.
Table Implications and the Road to Playoffs
The victory has dramatically altered the landscape of the WPL 2026 points table. Gujarat Giants, who began the night at the bottom, have catapulted into second place with six points from six matches. While the Royal Challengers Bengaluru have already qualified for the playoffs, the race for the remaining two spots is now a four-way logjam between Gujarat, UP, Delhi Capitals, and Mumbai Indians.
For Meg Lanning’s Warriorz, the loss is a wake-up call. Now at the bottom of the table, they must win their remaining two league matches to have any hope of progressing. Former Indian captain Mithali Raj described the Warriorz’ performance as an “absolute meltdown,” citing a lack of intent and poor shot selection in the middle order.
The Giants will look to carry this momentum into their next fixture against Delhi Capitals on January 27, while the Warriorz face a week-long break to regroup before they take on the league-leading RCB.
