Gujarat Giants (GG) will look to continue the winning momentum when they lock horns with Delhi Capitals (DC) in their fourth match of the inaugural Women’s Premier League (WPL) at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Saturday, March 11.
Under the tutelage of mentor Mithali Raj and head coach Rachael Haynes, the Giants will head into their upcoming match brimming with confidence after defeating Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by 11 runs in their previous fixture at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.
Electing to bat first, the Giants rode on twin fifties from Sophia Dunkley (65) and Harleen Deol (67) to post a huge total of 201/7 on the board. Later, star all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner bagged three wickets to help the Adani Sportline-owned outfit restrict RCB to 190/6 in their allotted 20 overs as the Giants registered their first victory in the WPL.
Having bounced back from their defeats against UP Warriorz and Mumbai Indians, the Giants are currently placed fourth in the WPL 2023 standings with two points from three matches.
For the Giants, Indian cricketer Harleen has been their leading run-scorer in the inaugural WPL so far. The 24-year-old has amassed 113 runs in three games at an average of 37.66 and a strike rate of 143.03.
In the bowling department, Irish-Australian fast bowler Kim Garth has been the wrecker-in-chief for the Giants. Garth has already scalped five wickets in two matches at an average of 12.60.
Meanwhile, South Africa batter Laura Wolvaardt has been drafted into the Giants’ squad as replacement for the injured Beth Mooney for the remainder of the WPL 2023.
In the absence of Mooney, vice-captain Sneh Rana has been elevated to captain while Gardner will be Rana’s deputy for the ongoing T20 tournament.
On the other hand, the Meg Lanning-led Delhi Capitals will aim to bounce back after suffering an eight-wicket defeat against Mumbai Indians in their last match on Thursday.
The Capitals earlier started their WPL campaign with a 60-run win over RCB before beating UP Warriorz by 42 runs.
With four points from three matches, the Delhi-based franchise is currently placed second in the standings.
Skipper Meg Lanning and pacer Tara Norris will be the players to watch out for the Capitals. Lanning has scored the most runs in WPL 2023 so far, accumulating 185 runs in three games at an average of 61.66 and a strike rate of 146.82. American cricketer Norris has been the joint second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament, having picked up six wickets in three matches at an economy of 8.28.
Gujarat Giants vs Delhi Capitals head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between Gujarat Giants and Delhi Capitals in the WPL.
Going by the two strong squads, we expect a close encounter between the Giants and the Capitals on Saturday. The match will start at 7:30 PM Indian Standard Time (IST).
