🏏WPL 2026: Match 2: GGW vs UPWW at Navi Mumbai on 10/01/26🏏

🏏WPL 2026: Match 2: GGW vs UPWW at Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai on 10/01/26 @3:00PM IST🏏

New-look Giants, Warriorz hope for strong start to new season

Both sides overhauled their squads at the mega auction and will hope to lock in their combinations quickly

Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz are the only two teams yet to reach a Women's Premier League (WPL) final. They were the two teams that had the biggest overhauls in the WPL 2026 mega auction, having retained just two and one players respectively. And now they face each other to kick off their new campaigns.

Across the three seasons so far, these two teams have scored slower than the rest, and this is an area they would both want to address urgently. Giants have bolstered their top order with the acquisition of Sophie Devine, Yastika Bhatia and Danni Wyatt-Hodge to support the retained duo of captain Ashleigh Gardner and former captain Beth Mooney. But with a slightly inexperienced middle order, they could end up relying on one of their big guns to do the heavy lifting with the bat in most games.

In the spotlight: Mooney and Navgire

Beth Mooney finished as the second-highest run-scorer in women's T20s in 2025 and topped the run charts in the latest WBBL season. She has been with Giants from the inaugural season in 2023, and comes into this season in piping-hot form. Despite playing just one game in WPL 2023 before being ruled out with injury, Mooney is Giants' second-highest run-scorer behind Gardner, and remains their north star with the bat. Giants have a top-heavy batting lineup, and Mooney will be the prime candidate to be the anchor around whom the likes of Devine, Yastika and Gardner can explode.

Kiran Navgire came into the WPL in 2023 with a reputation of being a big hitter, but has failed to deliver at this stage. But after some shuffling up and down the order, she seems to have found a home at the top of it and comes into the season with good form behind her. She helped Maharashtra win their maiden Senior Women's T20 Trophy in October 2025, smashing the fastest century in women's T20 cricket in the process. Paired with Lanning at the top, she will be tasked with giving Warriorz a fast start. She is Warriorz's leading six-hitter and they will hope she can marry her explosiveness with consistency.

Squads:

Gujarat Giants Women Squad: Sophie Devine, Beth Mooney(w), Ashleigh Gardner(c), Danielle Wyatt-Hodge, Kanika Ahuja, Yastika Bhatia, Bharti Fulmali, Georgia Wareham, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Kashvee Gautam, Anushka Sharma, Kim Garth, Tanuja Kanwar, Titas Sadhu, Renuka Singh Thakur, Ayushi Soni, Shivani Singh, Happy Kumari

UP Warriorz Women Squad: Meg Lanning(c), Kiran Navgire, Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Phoebe Litchfield, Shipra Giri(w), Shweta Sehrawat, Charli Knott, Deandra Dottin, Deepti Sharma, Simran Shaikh, Sophie Ecclestone, Shikha Pandey, Asha Sobhana, Chloe Tryon, Gongadi Trisha, Kranti Gaud, Suman Meena

Pitch and conditions

The DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai is known for helping the batters, especially so in the second innings thanks to dew. There is some assistance for quick bowlers with the new ball, but overall, it's likely going to favour the teams chasing. In the first game of the season as well, Royal Challengers Bengaluru chose to bowl against defending champions Mumbai Indians.

Stats and trivia

Lanning needs 21 runs to pip compatriot Ellyse Perry, who has withdrawn from WPL 2026 for personal reasons, to go second on the all-time WPL run-scorers' list.

Giants and Warriorz have an even head-to-head record, with three wins each in six meetings.

With 36 wickets, Ecclestone is the third-highest wicket-taker in WPL. She needs five wickets to go joint-top.

While Warriorz have won just six of their last 16 games over the two previous seasons, Giants have as many wins in their last 17 games. Both teams will be looking to improve on their records.

GG W vs UP W — Head-to-Head Record in T20s

Matches Played 6

GG W Won 3

UP W Won 3

Tied / No Results 0

First-ever Fixture March 05, 2023

Most recent Fixture March 03, 2025

GG W vs UP W — Probable Best Performers

Probable Best Batter — Meg Lanning

Meg Lanning is not only among the most experienced players in the WPL history, but is also the third-highest run-getter in the league, with 952 runs in 27 innings. She also won the Orange Cap in 2023. Her ability to pierce the gaps and find runs during the powerplay overs makes her a lethal opening batter for the Uttar Pradesh-based franchise. She is the batter to be watched out for in this mouthwatering contest.

Probable Best Bowler — Renuka Singh Thakur

Renuka Singh Thakur is pretty underrated, especially for her sheer ability to provide early breakthroughs. This is going to be her first season with the Gujarat-based franchise, and she will be hoping to do the same magic with the ball that she does in India colours. As a right-arm pacer, who relies on bowling tights lengths to pressurize the batters, Renuka is expected to enjoy a memorable outing in her first match of the season.

Today's Match Prediction: Team batting first to win the match

Disclaimer

The prediction is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While making your prediction, consider the points mentioned, and make your own decision.

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