UP Warriorz Narrow Defeat in WPL 2025-Sthalekar Talks About Missed Chances

UP Warriorz' defeat against Gujarat Giants in their inaugural game of the Women's Premier League 2025 saw coach Lisa Sthalekar concede that the team lost by about 30-40 runs. The team's performance on the day, while there were flashes of brilliance, was ultimately not enough to secure the match for them.

Warriors began aggressively from the onset, with Kiran Navgire claiming the scorching start by hitting three boundaries in the first two overs. The run flow came crashing down immediately as soon as she got out at the second-over mark, and the side struggled to maintain the momentum. Though captain Deepti Sharma performed really well by scoring 39 from 27 balls, the rest of the batsmen were unable to find their pace. Gujarat bowlers continued to push with regular wickets, restricting UP Warriorz to a dismal 143 for 9.

Considering the batting by the team, Sthalekar admitted, "We perhaps left 30-40 runs out there. Losing wickets in clumps at the top and middle actually cost us dearly." While she did speak about the good batting show by Deepti and that of an all-rounder, the inability of the team to take the batting forward was evident. "Alana King and Saima Thakor played well eventually to get the score to 140, at least getting some thing for our bowlers to defend," she added.

With the ball, Warriorz started promisingly, with initial entries from Grace Harris and Sophie Ecclestone providing promise of a comeback. Ash Gardner's counter-attacking fifty shattered those hopes later on, however. Deandra Dottin and Harleen Deol then oversaw Gujarat Giants's win from number three with an unbroken 58-run stand that took them over in two overs.

Even in the losing effort, Sthalekar was able to find some positives from the game. "There are always positives, even when you lose. It's our first game, and we still have a lot of way to go. Krant (Goud) played well in her debut, good pace with the ball. Alana King, although disappointed with her bowling, also played well with the bat. Deepti Sharma, too, played hard with the bat, and it was great to see her play an all-round game," she added.

Sthalekar further added that although the execution of plans remained short by a bit, the team had taken a good start and could use the learnings it had accumulated in the future matches. "It is important to forget this performance and think about the future. We have a next match coming up, and it is important to think about the next opportunity," she added.

Speaking about Deepti Sharma's captaincy, Sthalekar mentioned how the captaincy had brought her into the spotlight. "A captaincy role does help a player to think of the team first sometimes more than oneself," she said. Deepti, in good touch at the start of the season, continued with her good performances with the bat and the ball. "She's got it just balanced, that she's playing what is in the best interests of her team but yet individually," Sthalekar described. "Her batting currently and bowling consistency have been huge positives for the team," she said.

The captaincy position, Sthalekar opines, has gone on to make Deepti an even stronger cricketer. "Being a captain makes you consider others. It definitely has given an extra edge to her game," she clarified.

Sthalekar is not discouraged by the narrow loss. The narrow loss to Gujarat Giants shows that there is room for improvement, but with a little tweaking and the right mindset, the Warriorz can come back stronger in their next matches. "This is just one game, and there's still a long tournament to be played. We will learn from it and come back better," Sthalekar declared, her faith in the team's ability to bounce back.