Delhi Capitals Crush Gujarat Giants to Enter Fourth Straight WPL Final

Delhi Capitals continued their stranglehold over the Women’s Premier League knockouts, cruising past Gujarat Giants in the Eliminator to book a place in their fourth consecutive WPL final. A blistering opening stand led by Lizelle Lee and Shafali Verma, followed by a clinical bowling display headlined by Chinelle Henry, sealed a commanding chase as DC reached the target with 26 balls to spare.

The victory sets up a high-voltage final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Vadodara on February 5.

Gujarat Giants’ Fortress Crumbles Early

Asked to bat first, Gujarat Giants walked in with confidence — they had won all five of their matches this season when setting a target. But that record unravelled almost immediately.

Their innings suffered a major blow in the second over when Sophie Devine, Gujarat’s most influential player of the season, perished attempting an ambitious stroke. Chinelle Henry’s delivery shaped away late, inducing an edge that Lizelle Lee plucked with a stunning one-handed catch to her right.

The slide worsened rapidly. Nandani Sharma struck twice in the sixth over, removing Anushka Sharma and Ashleigh Gardner off successive deliveries. In the process, she became the highest wicket-taking Indian bowler in a single WPL season, moving past Saika Ishaque with 16 wickets — just one behind Devine’s overall tally.

Minnu Mani then joined the act, leaving Gujarat reeling at 59 for 4 and scrambling for stability.

Mooney’s Lone Stand Lifts Giants to Respectability

Beth Mooney, largely stranded early as wickets fell around her, eventually took charge of the innings. After Gujarat endured a boundary drought of 33 balls, Mooney broke free with a crisp four off N Shree Charani, injecting some much-needed momentum.

Georgia Wareham provided valuable support, rotating the strike efficiently before unleashing the first six of the match — a clean flick over mid-off. Together, the pair stitched a vital 61-run partnership that dragged Gujarat past the 100-run mark.

Henry returned to swing the momentum back Delhi’s way in the 17th over, dismissing Wareham, while Bharti Fulmali followed soon after with a duck. Mooney, however, held firm till the end. A flurry of boundaries alongside Kashvee Gautam in the final overs pushed Gujarat to a competitive 168.

Mooney’s unbeaten 62 off 51 balls — spanning the first delivery of the innings to the last — once again underlined her calm authority under pressure.

Shafali and Lee Set the Tone

Delhi’s chase began with intent and authority. Lee survived an early scare when Gujarat burned a review for a caught-behind decision that UltraEdge ruled out. From there, she and Shafali Verma went on the offensive.

The pair tore into Gujarat’s new-ball attack, collecting boundaries with ease. Shafali, in particular, capitalised on a chaotic over from Devine that included byes, wides and loose deliveries, swinging the momentum decisively in Delhi’s favour.

A brutal 21-run over off Renuka Singh followed, as the openers raced to 64 inside five overs — a stark contrast to Gujarat’s crawl to 64 for 4 at the halfway stage of their innings.

Lee kept the tempo relentless, taking Rajeshwari Gayakwad for both pace and flight, as DC surged to 75 in the powerplay. Though Wareham eventually broke the opening stand in the eighth over, removing both batters in quick succession, the damage had already been done. The partnership had yielded 89 runs and gutted Gujarat’s hopes.

Rodrigues and Wolvaardt Finish the Job

Any chance of a comeback was swiftly shut down by Jemimah Rodrigues and Laura Wolvaardt. The duo batted with assurance and flair, finding gaps at will and bringing the required rate down to under a run a ball.

Rodrigues unfurled a memorable six over mid-off when Gardner overpitched, while Wolvaardt showcased her elegance by dancing down the track to loft Gayakwad over long-on. Their 68-run stand all but sealed the contest.

Rodrigues departed after a brisk 41 off 23 balls, leaving DC needing just nine runs. Marizanne Kapp applied the finishing touch in the 16th over, smashing Wareham straight back over her head to spark celebrations in the Delhi camp.

Delhi Capitals march into yet another WPL final with authority, confidence and form firmly on their side — once again proving why they remain the league’s most consistent force.

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