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Gujarat Giants failed to live up to expectations in the opening match of Women's Premier League 2023 against the Mumbai Indians. The Ahmedabad-based franchise were outplayed in all three departments as they ended up losing the season opener by a huge margin of 143 runs.
GG skipper Beth Mooney won the toss and opted to field first at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy. The decision did not work in her team's favor as Gujarat's bowlers conceded 207 runs in 20 overs. Chasing 208 for a win in the WPL 2023, the Giants managed 64/9 in 15.1 overs.
Their captain Mooney suffered an injury while batting and did not return to bat as the Mumbai Indians secured a convincing win. Fans were unhappy with the Giants' performance in the WPL's first-ever match.
Dayalan Hemalatha and number 11 batter Monica Patel were the only two GG players to touch double digits. Here's how Twitter reacted to their batting performance:
Gujarat Giants were down to 23/7 at one stage in the WPL 2023 match against Mumbai Indians
The Giants' batting line-up featured some reliable names like Beth Mooney, Sabbhineni Meghana, Harleen Deol, and Ashleigh Gardner. However, the quartet could not touch double digits. Mooney suffered an injury before she could score her first run, while Meghana and Deol lost their wickets for 2 & 0, respectively.
Gujarat Giants fans had high hopes from their Australian all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner, but she lost her wicket for a golden duck. After 7.4 overs, the Giants were down to 23/7 before a 26-run stand between Hemalatha and Mansi Joshi saved some of their blushes.
Commenting on her team's performance after the match, GG vice-captain Sneh Rana said:
"This was just a start. Some of the players soak in the atmosphere quickly and some others take time. I think it was a great learning for us today and we'll definitely come back strong."
Gujarat Giants will return to the field on Sunday, March 5. They will play their second match of WPL 2023 against the UP Warriorz.
