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In a surprising tactical shift at the BCA Stadium, the UP Warriorz have promoted Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma to open the batting in their crucial . Following RCB’s two-game wobble, captain Smriti Mandhana won the toss and elected to bowl first, aiming to exploit the early assistance for her seamers on a fresh Vadodara surface.
Explained: Why Deepti Sharma is opening the batting in Vadodara for UP Warriorz vs RCB
The decision to have Deepti open the batting might be a calculated gamble by head coach Abhishek Nayar, designed to address a chronic ‘opening problem’ where the Warriorz’ first-wicket partnership has averaged a dismal 12.16 runs this season. This reshuffle has directly resulted in Kiran Navgire being dropped from the playing XI for today’s encounter. Navgire, once the team’s most feared power-hitter, has endured a torrid run of form in 2026, amassing just 16 runs in 6 innings at a strike rate of 66.67. Her season has been marred by inconsistency, including three ducks, which left the Warriorz repeatedly reeling in the Powerplay.
The partnership between Navgire and captain has struggled significantly, failing to provide a single half-century stand and often breaking within the first two overs. To replace Navgire’s spot in the lineup, the Warriorz have brought in Simran Shaikh, while Deepti takes over the opening duties.
Deepti, who usually anchors the lower-middle order, was pushed to the top today after ace batter Phoebe Litchfield was ruled out for the remainder of the season with a severe quad injury. While Litchfield’s absence left a massive 243-run void, UP chose the technical reliability of Deepti over traditional options to maintain a left-right combination with Lanning and provide a license for calculated aggression. This experiment serves a dual purpose: it allows UP to negate the early swing of Lauren Bell more effectively than the struggling Navgire, while ensuring that power-hitters like Chloe Tryon and Deandra Dottin are shielded for a late-innings assault.
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WPL 2026 playoff takes: UP Warriorz and RCB fight for survival and final dominance
Today’s match serves as a high-pressure finale for a UP Warriorz side that currently sits at the bottom of the table, needing two wins from their final two games to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Warriorz are playing in a ‘do-or-die’ environment after a crushing 45-run defeat to Gujarat Giants, leaving their tournament life hanging by a thread. For the ‘Orange and Purple’ brigade, the exclusion of Navgire and Deepti’s promotion is a clear signal of intent to abandon failing tactics in favor of a “clean slate” approach.
For RCB, the stakes are equally high but of a different nature; despite having already qualified for the playoffs, they are desperate to snap a two-match losing streak and reclaim the top spot to secure a direct entry into the WPL 2026 Final. With Pooja Vastrakar returning to the RCB lineup today to bolster their pace attack, the battle between Deepti’s innovative sweeps and Shreyanka Patil’s turning off-breaks is set to be the defining contest of the evening.
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This article was first published at , a Cricket Times company.
