The 6th match to be held tonight Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 We witnessed a rare tactical maneuver at the DY Patil Stadium Giants of Gujarat opposed Mumbai Indians. With the absence of stars like the match, we saw already high drama Nat Sciver-Brunta middle innings strategic challenge involving a debutant Ayushi Soni became the main topic of discussion of the night.
WPL 2026, MI-W vs GG-W: Why Ayushi Soni ‘retired’
In a bold and rare tactical move in the 16th over, the Giants decided to “retire” debutant Ayushi Soni. After being brought to the place of the wounded, he was brought to the side Anushka SharmaSoni struggled to find his rhythm against a disciplined Mumbai Indians bowling attack. As he helped the ship stand by Georgia Warehamhis scoring rate had dipped and he was sitting on 11 runs off 15 balls when called. With the run rate up and only a few overs, the Giants’ management opted to pull Soni back to bring in the more aggressive. Bharti Fulmali. Unlike a ‘retired injury’ because the player was unable to return to the crease, this ‘retired’ dismissal was a calculated attempt to maximize the death toll and push for a competitive result.
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WPL 2026: Did the gamble pay off for Giants against Mumbai Indians?
Ayushi’s decision to retire immediately sparked debate as she was indeed the first player in WPL history to tactically ‘retire’. The move was seen in other T20 leagues, most famously with Ravichandran Ashwin in the year IPLnever been used Women’s Premier League until tonight.
On his WPL debut, Gujarat Giants’ Ayushi Soni became the first player to be retired in WPL history#WPL2026#GGVSMI
— AayushKataria (@AKTalksSports) January 13, 2026
Ayushi Soni’s decision to retire has proved that she is quite the master First player in WPL history tactically ‘retired’. The gamble paid off almost immediately with his explosive cameo Bharti Fulmaliwho came in and broke a blister 36 runs off just 15 ballsincluding three massive sixes. Combined with Fulmal’s aggressiveness Georgia Warehama steady 43 not out took the Giants to a massive total of 192/5.
This milestone marks a significant shift in the WPL’s tactical maturity, with teams now ready to employ aggressive, data-driven strategies even with young debutants. By sacrificing Soni’s wicket, the Giants managed to score 49 runs in the last four overs, potentially turning a low-par score into a win.
This article was originally published here WomenCricket.coma Cricket Times company.
