Delhi Capitals Crush Giants, Head to Fourth Straight WPL Final

The Delhi Capitals Women are heading back to the WPL final for the fourth time in a row! They just blew out the Gujarat Giants by seven wickets in the Eliminator in Vadodara, and they had 26 balls to spare. DC’s hitters came out swinging, and Lizelle Lee and Shafali Verma made quick work of the 169-run target. Beth Mooney’s fifty for the Giants just wasn’t enough.

Mooney Battles Alone as Giants Struggle

Delhi Capitals chose to field first and got wickets right away, putting the Giants in trouble early. A big moment was when Sophie Devine edged one behind off Chinelle Henry and Lizelle Lee caught it with one hand. Ouch. The Giants couldn’t get going in the powerplay, and things got worse when Nandani Sharma took two wickets in two balls, getting rid of Anushka Sharma and Ashleigh Gardner. Sharma now has 16 wickets this season, the most for any Indian bowler in the WPL 2026. The Giants were in a hole at 59 for 4, with only Beth Mooney putting up a fight.

Mooney, the captain, played a smart, patient game. She and Georgia Wareham put together a 61-run partnership, with Wareham hitting the first six of the innings. Mooney kept finding the gaps in the field. Kashvee Gautam added some late runs, scoring 18 off 10, to get the Giants to 168 for 7. Mooney finished unbeaten with 62 off 51 balls. For Delhi, Chinelle Henry was great, taking 3 for 35, and Nandani Sharma’s two wickets were key.

ShafaLee Storm Blasts Away the Target

Any question about whether the target was tough disappeared fast. Lizelle Lee and Shafali Verma, two of the most explosive openers around, went on the attack and took the game away from the Giants. They were smashing boundaries all over the place. The Giants wasted a review early on when they thought they caught Lee behind, which kind of showed how their night was going to go.

The pair reached 50 runs in just 26 balls, taking advantage of some bad bowling, especially from Sophie Devine and Renuka Singh, who gave up 21 runs in one over. Lee and Shafali kept finding the gaps. Delhi Capitals were flying at 75 for no loss at the end of the powerplay, which was way better than the Giants’ 38 for 3 at the same point. Their 89-run opening partnership off just 43 balls set the tone: they were in charge.

Easy Finish Secures the Win

Even when Georgia Wareham got both openers out quickly with her leg-spin, the game was pretty much over. Jemimah Rodrigues and Laura Wolvaardt made sure there wouldn’t be a collapse. They put on a 68-run partnership, hitting some nice shots. Rodrigues, who was named Player of the Match, was awesome, scoring 41 quickly off 23 balls, including a big six off Ashleigh Gardner. Wolvaardt was solid, finishing unbeaten with 32 off 24. Marizanne Kapp hit the winning shot, sending Delhi to the final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

What Happened and What it Means

The game was pretty straightforward, except for that unsuccessful review by the Giants. Delhi Capitals making the final for the fourth time in a row proves they’re the most steady team in the WPL. Nandani Sharma’s great season shows she’s a rising star. For Gujarat Giants, Beth Mooney played well, but it showed that they depend too much on her and Sophie Devine when the pressure is on.

My Take: T20 Cricket Done Right

This game wasn’t much of a contest. Delhi Capitals showed how to play modern T20 cricket: get early wickets and then smash the ball in the powerplay. The Giants, even with Mooney’s good innings, were never really in it after Devine got out. They were trying to recover, while Delhi was attacking. That 89-run opening partnership killed the Giants’ spirit and showed how much more aggressive Delhi was. The Giants were trying to set a total, but Delhi was trying to win from the first ball. This game showed that in knockout games, being aggressive is usually better than being cautious.

What’s Next?

Delhi Capitals will face a tough Royal Challengers Bengaluru team led by Smriti Mandhana in the final. If they want to win, Lizelle Lee and Shafali Verma need to do what they did tonight. Jemimah Rodrigues’ form is also a big plus. RCB will need to find a way to stop those openers. For Gujarat Giants, they need to find some consistency in their middle order. Players like Kanika Ahuja and Bharti Fulmali need to step up and support the stars at the top.