The Delhi Capitals (DC) have officially punched their ticket to a fourth consecutive WPL final, dismantling the Gujarat Giants (GG) by seven wickets in a one-sided Eliminator. A masterclass in power-hitting from Lizelle Lee and Shafali Verma, coupled with a clinical bowling performance led by Chinelle Henry, ensured DC’s dominance from start to finish.
Delhi will now head to Vadodara on February 5th to face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in what promises to be a high-octane championship clash.
Dominant Run Chase: Lee and Shafali Set the Tone
Chasing a target of 169, Delhi Capitals left no room for doubt. The opening duo of Lizelle Lee (43) and Shafali Verma (31) came out with intent, stitching together a blistering 89-run stand that effectively broke the back of the chase. Their aggression allowed DC to knock off more than half the required runs before the first wicket fell.
The momentum didn’t stall there. Jemimah Rodrigues (41) and Laura Wolvaardt (32)* picked up right where the openers left off, combining for a fluent 68-run partnership. The Giants’ bowling attack had no answers for DC’s depth, as the Capitals crossed the finish line with a massive 26 balls to spare. While Georgia Wareham managed two wickets for GG, the damage done in the powerplay was simply too much to overcome.
Early Collapse and Mooney’s Lone Resistance
Earlier in the evening, the Gujarat Giants—who had won all five of their previous games this season when batting first—stumbled early. The slide began when superstar Sophie Devine fell in the second over to Chinelle Henry. Henry’s late swing forced an edge that was brilliantly intercepted by Lizelle Lee, who plucked a sensational one-handed catch out of the air.
The pressure mounted as Nandani Sharma entered the record books. By removing Anushka Sharma and Ashleigh Gardner in consecutive deliveries during the sixth over, Nandani claimed her 16th wicket of the tournament—the most by any Indian player in a single WPL edition. When Minnu Mani dismissed the fourth batter shortly after, GG was reeling at 59/4.
Captain Beth Mooney proved to be the lone warrior for the Giants. After a grueling 33-ball boundary drought, Mooney finally broke free, anchoring the innings with a resilient 62 off 51 balls*. She found a brief ally in Georgia Wareham (35), but Henry’s return to the attack halted the middle-order recovery. Despite a late flurry of boundaries from Mooney and Kashvee Gautam that pushed the total to 168, it wasn’t enough to stop the Delhi juggernaut.
