EXPLAINED: Why Ayushi Soni was retired out during MI-W vs GG-W match in the WPL 2026

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Tonight’s Match 6 of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 at the DY Patil Stadium witnessed a rare tactical maneuver as the Gujarat Giants faced off against Mumbai Indians. While the match already saw high drama with the absence of stars like Nat Sciver-Brunt, the mid-innings strategic call involving debutant Ayushi Soni became the major talking point of the evening.

In a bold and rare tactical move during the 16th over, Giants made the decision to “retire out” their debutant batter Ayushi Soni. After being brought into the side to replace the injured Anushka Sharma, Soni found it difficult to find her rhythm against a disciplined Mumbai Indians bowling attack. While she helped steady the ship alongside Georgia Wareham, her scoring rate had dipped, and she was sitting on 11 runs off 15 balls when the call was made. With the run rate climbing and only a few overs remaining, the Giants’ management opted to withdraw Soni to bring in the more aggressive Bharti Fulmali. This ‘retired out’ dismissal, distinct from a ‘retired hurt’ because the player cannot return to the crease, was a calculated attempt to maximize the death overs and push toward a competitive total.

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The decision to retire Ayushi has sparked immediate debate as she has indeed become the first player in WPL history to be tactically ‘retired out.’ While the move has been seen in other T20 leagues, most famously with Ravichandran Ashwin in the IPL, it had never been utilized in the Women’s Premier League until tonight.

On her WPL debut, Gujarat Giants' Ayushi Soni becomes the first player to be retired out in the WPL's history#WPL2026#GGVSMI

— AayushKataria (@AKTalksSports) January 13, 2026

The decision to retire Ayushi Soni proved to be a masterstroke, as she became the first player in WPL history to be tactically ‘retired out.’ The gamble paid off almost instantly through the explosive cameo of Bharti Fulmali, who walked in and smashed a blistering 36 runs off just 15 balls, including three massive sixes. Fulmali’s aggression, combined with Georgia Wareham‘s steady 43 unbeaten, propelled the Giants to a formidable total of 192/5

This milestone marks a significant shift in the tactical maturity of the WPL, showing that teams are now willing to employ aggressive, data-driven strategies even with young debutants. By sacrificing Soni’s wicket, the Giants managed to inject 49 runs in the final four overs, turning a potentially sub-par score into a winning one.

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This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.