The Vadodara International Cricket Stadium buzzed with excitement on Tuesday as the Delhi Capitals (DC) Women delivered a strong performance to beat the Gujarat Giants (GG) Women in the WPL 2026 Eliminator. This match felt more like a lesson in cricket than a knockout game, with DC winning by 7 wickets and 26 balls remaining. This victory is significant for the franchise, marking their fourth straight appearance in the Women’s Premier League final, much to the delight of their supporters.
Chinelle Henry’s exceptional bowling dismantles Gujarat Giants
After winning the toss and choosing to bowl, Delhi Capitals quickly applied pressure on the Giants. While Beth Mooney fought hard with a score of 62 off 51 balls, she received little help from her teammates. The star of the innings was Chinelle Henry, whose impressive bowling performance disrupted the Gujarat batting lineup.
Henry made an early impact by dismissing the threatening Sophie Devine for just 6 runs. She returned during the crucial death overs and took out Georgia Wareham (35) and Bharti Fulmali shortly after, just as Mooney and Wareham were beginning to build a partnership.
The Giants struggled against the disciplined bowling from Nandani Sharma (2/44) and the effective Minnu Mani (1/23). Although the Giants managed to reach 168/7 thanks to a late surge, it seemed a below-par score on a batting-friendly Vadodara pitch. Henry ended her spell with impressive figures of 3/35, giving Delhi a strong advantage before they began their chase.
Delhi Capitals easily chase down the target
While the first half showcased excellent bowling, the second half was a display of powerful batting. Delhi Capitals’ openers, Lizelle Lee and Shafali Verma, aimed to finish the game quickly. They took full advantage of the Powerplay, racing to 75 runs without losing a wicket in just the first six overs.
Lee led the charge with a brisk 43 off 24 balls, hitting eight fours and a big six. Although Wareham managed to dismiss both Lee and Verma (31) in quick succession, the momentum remained with DC. Captain Jemimah Rodrigues then contributed with a powerful 41 off 23 balls.
DC reached the 100-run mark in just 8.5 overs. Following Rodrigues’ exit, Laura Wolvaardt (32) and veteran Marizanne Kapp guided the team to victory. DC finished the match at 169/3 in only 15.4 overs, achieving a remarkable run rate of 10.78.
As the final runs were scored, the crowd at Vadodara cheered loudly for a team that has consistently performed well in the WPL. With this commanding win, the Delhi Capitals head into the final as favorites, aiming to secure the title that has eluded them in prior seasons.
Here’s how supporters reacted:
