Devine and Rajeshwari Shine as Giants Triumph Over Warriorz, Fueling Playoff Dreams

On the strength of an unbeaten half-century from Sophie Devine (50 not out, 42 balls, 2 fours, 3 sixes) and impressive bowling, Gujarat Giants successfully defended a total of 153 for eight against UP Warriorz in the Women’s Premier League on Thursday.

Playing on a slow pitch at Kotambi Stadium, the Giants convincingly secured a 45-run victory. Left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad was the standout bowler for the hosts, delivering figures of 4-0-16-3.

Devine’s innings was crucial for the Giants’ success in the latter part of the match. The 36-year-old New Zealander, who also claimed two wickets, capitalized on a couple of fortunate escapes after coming in at No. 5. She remained at the crease until the end, smashing two sixes in Shikha Pandey’s 16-run final over.

Warriorz required one of their top-six batters to mirror Devine’s tenacity, but they faltered, collapsing to 79 for six in 12.1 overs. Kiran Navgire and Meg Lanning fell during the PowerPlay. Phoebe Litchfield was dismissed in the eighth over, her signature reverse-sweep caught by Renuka Singh at short third off Ashleigh Gardner. Harleen Deol then hit Renuka to Gardner at long-on soon after, sealing Warriorz’s fate as Rajeshwari cut through their lower middle-order.

The Giants also encountered difficulties with the bat, losing Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Anushka Sharma to Kranti Gaud in the PowerPlay.

With runs difficult to come by during the middle overs, Gardner unsuccessfully attempted to attack Deepti Sharma in the 10th over, only to be bowled for five off 12 balls.

Despite these struggles, Devine’s experience was pivotal. After defending three dot balls, she opened her account with a six off a slog-sweep against Deepti over midwicket.

The nature of the pitch made scoring challenging, and even Devine had to adjust her tempo. However, her resilience and experience ensured she withstood the pressure to anchor her team to a competitive total.

Published on January 22, 2026.