Devine Leads the Recovery
After being invited to bat first on a sluggish surface, the Giants found themselves in familiar trouble.
Despite a steady start by opener Beth Mooney, who scored 38 off 34 balls, the middle order struggled to adapt to the slow pitch.
However, Sophie Devine had endured a lean patch with three consecutive single-digit scores and chose the perfect moment to return to form.
Batting with poise and calculation, Devine anchored the innings. She survived an early run-out scare and was even dropped on 35, but she capitalized on these reprieves brilliantly.
In the final over, she took Shikha Pandey to the cleaners, smashing two sixes to reach her unbeaten 50 off 42 balls. Her late surge propelled Gujarat to a competitive total of 153/8, a score that proved to be more than enough on the challenging track.
Gayakwad and the Bowling Masterclass
The UP Warriorz’ chase never truly took flight, hindered by both exceptional bowling and a touch of misfortune.
Early wickets, including a bizarre stumping of Kiran Navgire and the unlucky dismissal of captain Meg Lanning, left the Warriorz reeling in the powerplay.
Enter Rajeshwari Gayakwad. Making her return to the starting XI, the veteran left-arm spinner turned the game into a one-sided affair.
She ran through the heart of the Warriorz’ middle order, finishing with remarkable figures of 3/16. Her ability to deceive the batters with flight and subtle changes in pace left the UP side searching for answers.
The pressure was relentless as Devine followed up her batting heroics with a clinical spell, taking 2/16, while Renuka Singh Thakur provided vital early breakthroughs (2/20). The Warriorz were eventually bundled out for a paltry 108 in 17.3 overs.
Impact on the Table
This comprehensive victory has significantly boosted the Giants’ campaign, catapulting them from the bottom of the table to the second spot in the WPL 2026 standings.
While the Royal Challengers Bengaluru remains at the top, the race for the remaining playoff spots is now wide open.
For Gujarat, the timely return to form of Sophie Devine and the match-winning impact of Gayakwad’s spin offered a clear blueprint for success as Gujarat Giants beat Delhi, and the tournament moved into its decisive phase.
