WPL 2026: Why did Georgia Wareham miss UPW vs GG clash?

Danni Wyatt-Hodge made her debut for GG, replacing Georgia Wareham in the XI for UPW vs GG Clash.

Gujarat Giants Women (GG-W) face UP Warriorz Women (UPW-W) in Match 14 of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 on January 22 at the Vadodara International Cricket Stadium.

GG-W come into the contest eager to regain momentum, having lost their way after an excellent start. Having won the first two matches, the Ash Gardener-led team lost three in a row. UP Warriors meanwhile, enter on the back of contrasting form.

The Meg Lanning-led team had lost three out of three to start their campaign but back-to-back wins over Mumbai Indians have brought them back into the running for a place in the playoffs. With both teams positioned at 2 wins and 3 losses each, a victory today will propel them to the second spot on the points table.

Ahead of the clash, Gujarat Giants made a massive decision and replaced star all-rounder Georgia Wareham, whom they had acquired in the auction for a whopping 1 Crore, with England’s Danni Wyatt-Hodge.

The English opener is an excellent asset to any side, and further strengthens Giants’ batting lineup. Wyatt will play her first match of the 2026 WPL season, but previously featured for RCB, with a highest WPL score of 57 vs UPW.

WPL 2026: Why did Georgia Wareham miss playing GG vs UPW clash?

Georgia Wareham has been dropped by Gujarat, in a bid to further solidify their batting. With no significant contributions from the Indian batters, GG are fielding four Overseas batters in Beth Mooney(w), Sophie Devine, Ash Gardner and Danni Wyatt-Hodge.

This move doesn’t come as a surprise. Wareham has struggled to make an impact with the ball this season, conceding runs freely and falling short of the control and effectiveness expected from her.

“We wanted to bowl as well. Hopefully we can set the tone early here. You probably have to a lot straighter for longer. That seems simple. Try to be clinical in our decision making. It’s a positive that we can go and set the tone early with the bat. Danni Wyatt comes in for Georgia Wareham”, GG captain Ash Gardner confirmed at the toss.

In the previous match, she bowled just a solitary over and went for 13 runs. Prior to that, Wareham went for 35 runs in four overs, on a slowish wicket. With just three wickets to her name after playing five matches, the Australian leg spinner has clearly under-performed.

With plenty of bowling options available in this Gujarat Giants team, they have opted for a specialist batter in Danni Wyatt instead. GG will now hope to score big in the first innings, having been asked to bat first, to give their bowlers enough runs to defend, once the dew settles in.

GG vs UPW: Gujarat Giants playing XI

Beth Mooney(w), Sophie Devine, Anushka Sharma, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Kanika Ahuja, Ashleigh Gardner(c), Kashvee Gautam, Bharti Fulmali, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Renuka Singh Thakur, Happy Kumari

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