WPL 2026, Eliminator: Delhi Capitals beat Gujarat Giants to seal finale date with Bengaluru

Delhi Capitals (DC) have reached yet another Women’s Premier League (WPL) final, this time after beating Gujarat Giants in a lop-sided Eliminator in Vadodara on Tuesday (Feb 3). Chasing 169, Delhi completed the target with seven wickets and 26 balls remaining, setting up the finale date with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Friday (Feb 6).

After winning the toss and electing to bowl first, Delhi was off to a flyer, removing the GG opener Sophie Devine inside the second over. Beth Mooney and Anushka Sharma added 29 for the second wicket before two quick scalps, including captain Ashleigh Gardner’s wicket on a first-ball duck, put them on the backfoot. Kanika Ahuja was the next to depart, as Gujarat’s back was against the wall.

However, the momentum switched towards them following a flourishing fifth-wicket partnership between Mooney and Georgia Wareham (35), which helped Gujarat close in on a 150-mark in this crucial Eliminator. Although opener Mooney remained unbeaten on 62 off 51 balls, carrying her bat and hitting six fours, a late blitz from Kashvee Gautam (18 off 10) propelled Gujarat to a fighting 168 for seven in the first innings.

Delhi all over Gujarat

The Delhi openers took no time before going berserk, with Shafali Verma and Lizelle Lee adding 89 for the first wicket, all inside eight overs. The start put them in the driver’s seat, with Laura Wolvaardt and skipper Jemimah Rodrigues unleashing a wide range of strokes to end all hopes for a miraculous win for the Giants.

While Laura remained unbeaten on 32 off 24 balls, Indian star batter Rodrigues whacked a quick-fire 23-ball 41, hitting a six and four fours to see her side home.

Here is what both captains said –

“Yeah, obviously, you know, probably wasn't the most ideal start. I think Moons (Mooney) did a fantastic job of kind of rescuing the innings with Georgia Wareham. You know, we felt like that was enough at halfway if we bowled well, but ultimately, when you don't start the powerplay, either taking wickets or restricting runs, it kind of brings that team in, and obviously, they took the powerplay on, which is what they do. That's their ammo, and yeah, they obviously did that brilliantly today,” GG captain Gardner said.

“This final feels different. With GG, the last two games did not go our way. If you keep believing as a team, magic happens. (What changed) Nothing. Even our team meeting was short. We tried not to overthink. To trust ourselves. When you keep calm, things fall into place. A lot of credit goes to our bowlers. Our bowlers won us the game. They make my job easy as captain. One more game to go, and we keep the same plans. Today was a restoration for us,” Delhi captain Rodrigues noted.