GG vs UPW Dream11 Prediction: 3 players you could pick as captain or vice-captain for today’s WPL match – February 16, 2025
The Gujarat Giants (GG) and the UP Warriorz (UPW) will go head-to-head in the 3rd match of WPL 2025 on Sunday, February 16, at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara.
The Giants suffered a painful five-wicket defeat on the opening night of this edition of the WPL. They suffered due to dropped catches and poor fielding, which allowed RCB to chase down the mammoth 201-run total they posted when batting first, courtesy of a half-century from Beth Mooney and a terrific all-round display from captain Ashleigh Gardner.
Meanwhile, the UP Warriorz, led by Deepti Sharma, will play their first game of the season tonight. Despite Alyssa Healy's absence, Deepti and company have some big names on their roster and will be a hard team to beat. They'll want to start their campaign on a winning note.
Let's now look at the top three Dream11 captaincy options for this fixture.
#3 Chamari Athapaththu (ALL) (UPW)
Sri Lankan captain and the No.5 Ranked T20I all-rounder Chamari Athapaththu could be a crucial player for the UP Warriorz and a solid Dream11 captaincy option throughout this season. With Alyssa Healy opting out of WPL 2025, Athapaththu is expected to open the batting and allow her experience to come to the fore in guiding whoever her opening partner will be.
Athapaththu is also a very capable off-spinner and is in great form as a bowler coming into this tournament. An opening batter who's expected to bowl 3-4 overs in every match has a very high points ceiling on Dream11. Despite her disappointing debut WPL campaign last year, Athapaththu is a terrific captaincy pick for this one.
#2 Deepti Sharma (ALL) (UPW)
The newly appointed UP Warriorz captain Deepti Sharma, like Athapathu, is one of the best all-rounders and bowlers, ranked fourth and third on the ICC T20I All-Rounders' and Bowlers' Rankings, respectively. She was on another level last season, winning the 'Player of the Tournament' award despite her team not even making it to the playoffs.
Deepti should bowl herself in the toughest stages of the game, including a minimum of two overs at the death, increasing her wicket-taking chances by a large margin. She also batted high up the order last season and could well come in at No.4 or No.5, allowing herself the chance to cut loose in the death overs.
With multiple routes to points and herself being a proven performer, Deepti Sharma is a standout Dream11 captaincy option.
#1 Ashleigh Gardner (ALL) (GG)
Ashleigh Gardner almost single-handedly helped the Gujarat Giants win in the curtain-raiser against RCB less than 48 hours ago. But some poor fielding cost the GG skipper and her team as they were unable to defend their first innings total of 201.
Gardner, however, was outstanding on all fronts. Walking into bat at No.4, she smashed eight sixes in a blistering 37-ball 79. She was also effective with the ball, removing both RCB openers in her first over with the ball, registering a massive 232-point Dream11 haul.
In the form that she's in with bat and ball, it'll be surprising to see anyone not name her as the captain or vice-captain of their Dream11 teams.