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WPL 2025: UP Warriorz Were 30-40 Runs Short Against Gujarat Giants, Feels Lisa Sthalekar
Follow UsThe Warriorz could get just 143 runs on the board, which was not enough
The UP Warriorz (UPW) put up the lowest total of the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2025 season so far. Their 143/9 was not good enough as the Gujarat Giants (GG) registered a comfortable six-wicket victory. UPW's mentor, Lisa Sthalekar, feels that her side was at least 30-40 runs short.
“If we were to look at our batting innings, we probably left 30 to 40 runs out there. Losing wickets at the top and then also in the middle hurt us," Sthalekar said at the post-match press conference.
Speaking of the reason behind the Warriorz getting a sub-par total, Sthalekar said, “I’d say it maybe stayed a little bit lower. But what you’ve seen is that from game one to game three, bowlers have targeted the stumps a lot more, so the bowling has become better.
“If you would have a look at the first game, there were a lot of deliveries that were missing the stumps and went for boundaries. So, I think the bowlers are starting to fight back."
Despite the loss, Sthalekar really appreciated her skipper, Deepti Sharma, who she thought put up an excellent fight.
“Thought the way that Deepti batted was really well. She had a pretty good all-round game and actually showed the fight. Whilst wickets were falling, she knew her plan and stuck to it," the 45-year-old said.
Speaking of the Giants Sthalekar believes Ash Gardner, who has slammed two fifties in picked up four wickets in WPL 2025 so far, has turned into a better player because of the added responsibility of captaincy.
“Sometimes giving someone the position [of captaincy] means they focus on others more than themselves. So she’s now in a position where she’s got to be thinking about the rest of the team," Sthalekar said.
“Yes, she still has to perform as an individual player, and she’s done so exceptionally well. And she’s coming to, you know, a nice run of form in T20 cricket. I think the leadership has certainly helped to bring the best out of her so far in this edition of the WPL."
The Warriorz will look to get off the mark in WPL 2025 in their next game against Delhi Capitals (DC) on February 19 (Wednesday).
