GG vs UPW, WPL 2023: 3 player battles to watch out for

WPL 2023 will resume today with a clash between the UP Warriorz and the Gujarat Giants at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. It will be the final league stage match for the Giants, who have almost been eliminated from the Women's Premier League.

The Ahmedabad-based franchise currently hold the last position in the five-team standings with only four points from seven matches. They lost their last match against the Royal Challengers Bangalore by eight wickets.

On the other side, the UP Warriorz sit in the third position in the WPL 2023 points table. They are coming off a win against tabletoppers Mumbai Indians in their previous game. UPW need only one more win to confirm their place in the playoffs.

If the Warriorz beat the Giants today, the Challengers will be eliminated from WPL 2023 as well.

Ahead of this crucial match in the Women's Premier League, here's a look at the three player battles that will play a key role in deciding the winning team.

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#1 Harleen Deol (GG) vs. Sophie Ecclestone (UPW)

Harleen Deol's batting performances have been one of the few bright spots for the Gujarat Giants in the inaugural WPL season. The Indian all-rounder has scored 198 runs in seven matches and is among the top run-getters in the competition.

Deol will face a stiff challenge from UP Warriorz' leading wicket-taker Sophie Ecclestone. The spinner has scalped 12 wickets in WPL 2023, and is in the race for the Purple Cap as well.

When the two teams met earlier this season, Deol scored one off two balls against Ecclestone. It will be interesting to see who wins the battle today.

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#2 Alyssa Healy (UPW) vs. Kim Garth (GG)

Kim Garth made her WPL debut for the Gujarat Giants in a match against the UP Warriorz. She destroyed the UPW batting lineup with a five-wicket haul. One of her five victims was UPW captain Alyssa Healy.

Alyssa was batting on seven off as many balls when a delivery from Garth took the leading edge of her bat and went straight into the bowler's hands. The UP Warriorz captain has scored 187 runs in her next five innings after the match against GG. It will be exciting to see if Healy can go big against Garth.

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#3 Tahlia McGrath (UPW) vs. Ashleigh Gardner (GG)

Tahlia McGrath and Asheligh Gardner are two of the top overseas players participating in the Women's Premier League. While McGrath is currently the second-highest run-scorer for the UP Warriorz, Gardner is the joint-highest wicket-taker for the Gujarat Giants.

When the Giants took on the Warriorz earlier in the tournament, McGrath failed to open her account. She faced two deliveries, with the first one being a wide ball. On the next ball, Kim Garth's delivery took the outside edge of McGrath's bat and the first-slip fielder Dayalan Hemalatha completed the catch.

Ashleigh Gardner did not bowl to McGrath in that game. The battle between Gardner and McGrath should be an exciting one if they cross paths at the Brabourne Stadium in today's WPL 2023 match.