Following a three-wicket defeat at the hands of UP Warriorz on Monday (March 20), Gujarat Giants were knocked out of the ongoing Women's Premier League (WPL) season.

It was Giants’ sixth defeat in eight matches in the inaugural WPL edition. They finished the league stage at the bottom of the five-team points table.

After their campaign got over, Gujarat Giants' team mentor Mithali Raj said that losing key players early in the tournament dented the team's composition, resulting in its elimination from the competition.

In the opening match of the WPL 2023, the Gujarat-based franchise suffered a big blow as their designated skipper and opening Beth Mooney sustained a calf injury and got ruled out of the remainder of the tournament.  

"Honestly, we did put up a good team, but the results were not in our favour and the season didn't go our way. We lost key players early on, and it dented our composition. But despite this hiccup, the team stepped up and showed their grit and passion to win," Mithali said in a press release issued by the Adani-owned franchise.

Gujarat Giants’ head coach Rachel Haynes acknowledged that they had some tough moments but also praised her team for showing a lot of character during the event.

"Undoubtedly, we had our tough moments, but the team put up a riveting performance and showed a lot of character during every match. We all are taking with us many positives and pivotal life-lessons from this inaugural session," Haynes said.

Despite posting a stiff target of 179, the Giants suffered a defeat against UP Warriorz as Grace Harris's 41-ball 72 propelled her team into the playoffs.

Haynes added, "As we take a step back and take a moment to pause and reflect at the season, it does hurt to lose out on key players before the end of the first game, and shuffling the deck in terms of playing combinations was not an easy decision, but this allowed every player to showcase their potential and we are happy about it."

(With PTI Inputs)