GG Vs UPW Highlights, WPL 2026: Gujarat Giants Thrash UP Warriorz By 45 Runs, Leap To Second In Standings

Greetings, we’re back with another live blog as Gujarat Giants take on UP Warriorz. Stay tuned for live updates.

The Women's Premier League clash between GG and UPW will be telecast on the Star Sports Network. It will also be streamed live on the JioHotstar app and website.

UP Warriorz Women have won the toss and have opted to field first against Gujarat Giants.

Gujarat Giants (Playing XI): Beth Mooney(w), Sophie Devine, Anushka Sharma, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Kanika Ahuja, Ashleigh Gardner(c), Kashvee Gautam, Bharti Fulmali, Tanuja Kanwer, Renuka Singh Thakur, Happy Kumari

UP Warriorz (Playing XI): Meg Lanning(c), Kiran Navgire, Phoebe Litchfield, Harleen Deol, Chloe Tryon, Shweta Sehrawat(w), Sophie Ecclestone, Deepti Sharma, Asha Sobhana Joy, Shikha Pandey, Kranti Gaud

And we are underway, and straight away the drama arrives! Kranti Gaud starts full and straight, Beth Mooney beaten on the flick and struck on the pads, the fielding side roaring in unison for LBW.

It looks close, very close, but the umpire shakes his head and after a quick huddle the review is wisely abandoned. Gaud goes again, Mooney leans forward and strokes a neat drive to mid-off, Danni Wyatt-Hodge hesitating before sprinting through, late, scrambling, but just safe. Two balls in and this game already has a heartbeat.

Kranti Gaud strikes, and she’s earned that one! She keeps teasing Anushka Sharma with that length outside off, the ball nipping away just enough. Anushka can’t resist the cut, throws the bat at it, there’s a faint noise and the appeal is instant.

Up goes the finger and Shweta Sehrawat completes a sharp catch. Another batter undone by a cross-bat shot, another reward for a bowler who’s been moving it both ways and attacking the stumps relentlessly. Anushka walks back after a brisk 14 off 8, three boundaries lit up the start, but Gaud has the breakthrough.

And Deepti Sharma strikes back! Ashleigh Gardner falls victim to the mounting pressure, attempting a pull that never had a chance. The ball wasn’t short, it held its line, turned just enough, and Gardner’s bat never meets it, it clips the pad and crashes into the stumps. A frustrating dismissal for Gardner, just 5 off 12, and UP are really tightening the screws here.

Oh no, that’s a gift, and Beth Mooney knows it straight away. Sophie Ecclestone floats it full and wide, not a wicket ball by any stretch, but Mooney steps out, reaches for the drive and completely loses her balance.

The timing is gone, the placement never comes, and mid-off does brilliantly, charging in and diving low to make it stick. Mooney throws her head back in disbelief as she walks off for 38, five crisp fours in a promising knock, but she’s handed UP a massive breakthrough just when they needed it.

Absolute chaos out there, and Bharti Fulmali pays the price. Devine goes for the sweep, mistimes it badly and it should’ve been curtains, but Litchfield spills a simple catch at deep mid-wicket. Fulmali instantly sets off, Devine freezes at the other end, and suddenly both are stranded in no-man’s land.

The throw comes in sharply, Asha Sobhana gathers and breaks the stumps with ease. Fulmali has to sacrifice herself, walking back for 5, and UP would’ve much rather had Devine, but they’ll happily take a wicket gifted on a plate.

Cleaned up, and that’s classic Sophie Ecclestone. She fires in a flat one on a back-of-a-length, it skids just enough and Kashvee Gautam goes hard across the line.

Big swing, no contact, and the ball crashes straight into the top of off. Stumps flying, Ecclestone roaring, and another dangerous hitter is gone. Gautam’s brisk 11 off 6 ends in pieces, and UP tighten their grip once again.

Sophie Devine drags Gujarat to something respectable, bringing up a gritty half-century almost on arrival as they scrape their way to 153 for 8. It’s a total that gives the bowlers something to defend, though the looming dew could tilt things firmly in UPW-W’s favour.

The new opening pair never really clicked, Danni Wyatt-Hodge couldn’t get going, while Beth Mooney once again looked set for a bigger knock before gifting her wicket away. Around them, wickets kept tumbling, pressure never eased, but Devine stood tall at the end to make sure Gujarat at least crossed the 150 mark.

Chase time, and the big guns are out early. Meg Lanning walks in with calm written all over her face, Kiran Navgire alongside her, and 154 is the target flashing on the screen. Renuka Singh has the new ball in hand, the field spreads, the crowd settles, this chase is about to begin.

And what a bizarre start to the chase! Renuka Singh drifts one down leg, Kiran Navgire goes for the flick, misses completely, and in a twist of fate, the ball ricochets off Mooney’s pads straight onto the stumps.

The umpire is quick, the finger goes up, and Navgire is out for a golden duck, and to add insult to injury, it’s called a wide too. Litchfield offers a consoling pat, but Navgire’s head is down as she trudges back. UPW-W strike first, and it’s a shocker right at the top.

Sophie Devine keeps the pressure on with a tidy one to Phoebe Litchfield, who steps forward to loft but only manages a sliced shot. The ball bounces to Anushka at sweeper cover, who wisely doesn’t go for a risky catch. Just a single taken, but Litchfield’s head is down, not the cleanest connection, and the fielders are staying alert every step of the way.

And Litchfield answers back in style! Kashvee Gautam pitches one short of a length on middle, and Phoebe shuffles across to meet it. Perfect timing, perfect placement, she laces it past the infield and races away to the fine-leg fence. A premeditated shot, executed beautifully, and the scoreboard nudges along.

Litchfield is looking in fine touch. She’s got a solid start under her belt and is showing all the signs of racing toward her fifty. With her timing and intent, there’s every chance she could push well past the milestone if she keeps this rhythm going.

Renuka Singh strays down leg again, short of length, and Harleen Deol goes for the flick, but misses completely. Mooney is alert behind the stumps and collects it cleanly. Another wide added to the tally, and the pressure continues to build from the very start of the innings.

Ashleigh Gardner fires in a good-length delivery that spins in sharply, and Chloe Tryon takes a step back, gets her balance, and glances it off to short fine for a single. A smart, composed start from Tryon, keeping the scoreboard ticking without taking any unnecessary risks.

Big moment, Gujarat goes up in appeal for LBW, and they don’t like the umpire’s decision. Straight onto the back leg, no bat involved, and UltraEdge confirms a flat line. It’s a nail-biting wait, but in the end, the umpire’s call stands. The batter survives, and the tension stays thick in the middle.

Ashleigh Gardner keeps it full on middle, and Deepti Sharma gets forward, opening the face of the bat to nudge it past point for a single. A neat, controlled shot, and Mooney’s voice rings out behind the stumps, 'Well bowled, Ash, like it, Ash!', a little on-field camaraderie amidst the chase.

And Chloe Tryon punishes that one! Kashvee Gautam serves up a full delivery just outside off, right in the slot, and Tryon steps forward, lofts it with a textbook high-elbow, holds the pose, and the ball soars well past mid-off to the boundary. Beautifully timed, beautifully executed, and the scoreboard ticks up with a classy four.

Rajeshwari floats one up, full on off, a tad slower, and Asha Sobhana takes a cautious step back outside leg-stump before getting forward to nudge it to cover. Smart placement, a single taken, and she ensures Rajeshwari doesn’t sneak in a wicket-maiden.

The wickets continue to tumble for UP Warriorz, who lose Asha Sobhana and Sophie Ecclestone in the space of six balls. The Gujarat Giants strengthen their grip on the match, and with 57 runs needed off four overs and just two wickets in hand for UP, it is the Giants' match to lose.

Kranti Gaud is the last batter to be dismissed, and clean bowled at that. It sums up the innings really, with the Giants asserting their dominance and completing a comprehensive 45-run victory. Gujarat not only end their three-match losing streak, they leap from the last spot to the second in the table. The Warriors sump to the bottom, meanwhile.

UPW: 108 all out (17.3 overs)

Left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad is picked for the Player of the Match award, for her superb figures of 3/16. Here's what she had to say at the post-match presentation ceremony: "It feels really good. I got a chance to play after a long time, and today I did well too, so I’m very happy. I had been waiting for this spell for a long time, so it feels great.

"(On what she did differently today) Nothing was different. I just bowled to my strengths today. And when your support staff backs you, it gives you a lot of confidence. That’s exactly what I did today. They showed a lot of support in me, and that became my biggest strength today. It was much better. And the wicket was also helping, so I bowled accordingly today and was successful."

That’s a wrap, we’ll be back soon with another live blog and more action. Until then, bye-bye and take care.