WPL-2026’s first double header today:Gujarat Giants to clash UP Warriorz first; UPW to play under new captain Meg Lanning

The fourth season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL 2026) began on January 9. Today, double-header matches will be played in the league, meaning two matches in a single day. In the first match of the day, the Gujarat Giants (GG) and the UP Warriorz (UPW) teams will face each other. This match will be played at 3:00 PM at the DY Patil Stadium. Both teams will want to start their season with a win. Moreover, both teams will aim to take a significant step towards winning their first title this season. Meg Lanning is UP’s new captain The UP Warriorz team will rely heavily on new captain Meg Lanning this season. Under Lanning’s captaincy, Delhi Capitals reached the final for three consecutive seasons, so the team will have high hopes from her experience. Meanwhile, the Gujarat Giants team reached the playoffs last season after two poor seasons. Under the captaincy of Ashleigh Gardner, Gujarat has a strong core of foreign players, which strengthens the team. Even contest in Head-to-Head Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz have played a total of 6 matches against each other so far in the Women’s Premier League. In these matches, both teams have performed equally. Gujarat Giants have won 3 matches, while UP Warriorz have also won 3 matches. Thus, the match between both teams is always expected to be tough and exciting. Deepti-Sophie’s role in UPW is crucial Deepti Sharma and Sophie Ecclestone have played a crucial role in the success of UP Warriorz in the WPL. In batting, Deepti Sharma has scored 507 runs in 25 matches, with her best score being an unbeaten 88 runs. Her strike rate has been 117.63, which helps the team get strong starts and score runs at crucial times. Meanwhile, in bowling, Sophie Ecclestone has been UP’s most reliable bowler. She has taken 36 wickets in 25 matches, and her best performance has been 4 wickets for 13 runs. With an excellent economy of 6.68, Ecclestone has consistently put pressure on opposing batters. Gardner, Gujarat Giants’ Biggest Strength Ashley Gardner has been the biggest strength of Gujarat Giants in the Women’s Premier League. In batting, Gardner has scored 567 runs in 25 matches, with her best score being an unbeaten 79 runs. With an excellent strike rate of 141.75, she has given the team quick runs on many occasions. Gardner has also made significant contributions in bowling. She has taken 25 wickets in 25 matches, and her best performance has been 3 wickets for 31 runs. With an economy of 8.34, Gardner has proven to be a crucial all-rounder for Gujarat. Possible Playing-11 for both teams Gujarat Giants: Ashleigh Gardner (Captain), Beth Mooney, Sophie Devine, Bharti Fulmali, Georgia Wareham, Kanika Ahuja, Ayushi Soni, Kashvee Gautam, Tanuja Kanwar, Renuka Singh Thakur, Titas Sadhu. UP Warriors: Meg Lanning (Captain), Kiran Navgire, Harleen Deol, Phoebe Litchfield, Shweta Sehrawat, Deepti Sharma, Sophie Ecclestone, Asha Sobhana, Deandra Dottin, Shikha Pandey, Kranti Gaud. Champions So Far There have been 3 seasons of WPL so far. Mumbai has won the title twice. While Bengaluru also became champion once. Delhi Capitals reached the final in all three seasons, but remained runner-up. Where to watch the match? The live telecast of WPL will be on the Star Sports Network. Meanwhile, online streaming of the matches will be available on the Jio Hotstar app.