Navi Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 10 : UP Warriorz star batter Phoebe Litchfield has said that her side has versatility and firepower in their batting order in the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026 season.
Litchfield's comments came after her side suffered a close 10-run loss against the Gujarat Giants in the second match of the WPL 2026 at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Saturday.
During the post-match press conference, Litchfield also hailed wicketkeeper-batter Shweta Sehrawat's and Deandra Dottin's aggression that allowed her and captain Meg Lanning to bat around them.
"The gift that our batting order has is we've got so much versatility and so much firepower down the order, but also at the top of the order. So, it's pretty much go out there, try and score as quickly as possible, play your shots. I know Shweta from ball one is just gonna go," UPW opener said, according to ESPNcricinfo.
"She's (Shweta) a real aggressor, and it allows me and Meg Lanning to bat around her and the likes of Dotton as well. So, yeah, the messaging is just being back yourself. Don't leave any runs out there and, yeah, just commit to scoring runs quickly," Phoebe added.
The left-handed batter further added that the wicket at the DY Patil Stadium was flat. However, she felt that 200 was an above-par score on this wicket.
"No, it wasn't, it was pretty flat to be fair. There was a couple that stayed low and a couple that potentially bounced a bit more than we thought, but it's a very nice wicket here at D.Y. Patel, and it's very hard to defend. So, I think 200 was definitely par," she said.
Coming to the match, Litchfield's valiant 78 went in vain as UP Warriorz suffered a narrow 10-run defeat against Gujarat Giants in a high-scoring encounter.
Chasing a stiff target of 208, UP Warriorz were rocked early as Kiran Navgire departed in the very first over. The opener managed one run before being dismissed by Renuka Singh, giving Gujarat Giants the perfect start.
Captain Meg Lanning and Litchfield steadied the innings. The pair stitched together a crucial 70-run partnership, keeping UP in the hunt. Lanning played the role of the anchor, scoring 30 off 27 balls with five boundaries, before she was dismissed.UP Warriorz then suffered a sudden collapse in the middle overs.
Shweta Sehrawat joined Litchfield at the crease, and the duo revived the chase with a vital 69-run partnership. Sehrawat looked composed during her stay but was eventually bowled by Rajeshwari Gayakwad after scoring 25.
Litchfield, who had been the backbone of the innings, was dismissed shortly after for a superb 78 off 40 balls, an innings that included eight fours and five sixes. However, her effort was not enough, as UP Warriorz finished at 197/8, 10 runs short of the target.
With the ball, Renuka Singh was the standout performer for Gujarat Giants, returning figures of 2/25 from her four overs. Georgia Wareham and Sophie Devine also made key contributions, picking up two wickets each, while Ashleigh Gardner and Rajeshwari Gayakwad claimed one wicket apiece.
Earlier, Gujarat Giants captain Ashleigh Gardner displayed strong batting as the team put on a massive 207 against UP Warriroz. Gujarat reached 56/2 at the end of six overs. Giants also registered their third-best score in the power play in WPL.
Captain Gardner and Anushka Sharma stabilised the innings as the Giants reached 90/2 in 10 overs. Gardner reached her sixth WPL fifty during the third ball of the 15th over as the Giants crossed the 150-run mark. Gardner also became the batter with the most fifty-plus scores for Gujarat Giants, surpassing Beth Mooney (5) and Laura Wolvaardt (3).
During the 16th over, Deandra Dottin broke the 100-run stand after she dismissed Anushka for 44 runs. She had made the runs from 30 balls with the help of seven fours. Anushka Sharma's 44 is the highest by a Gujarat Giants batter on WPL debut.
The previous highest was Dani Gibson's 34 runs last year. Towards the end, Bharti Fulmali's unbeaten 14 and Georgia Wareham's blistering unbeaten knock of 27 helped Gujarat post a mammoth 207/4 on the board. Sophie Ecclestone (2/32), Deandra Dottin (1/47) and Shikha Pandey (1/29) were among the wicket-takers.
Brief scores: Gujarat Giants: 207/4 in 20 overs (Ashleigh Gardner 65, Anushka Sharma 44; Sophie Ecclestone 2/32) vs UP Warriorz 197/8 in 20 overs (Phoebe Litchfield 78, Meg Lanning 30; Renuka Singh 2/25).
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