DC-W vs UPW-W | Twitter impressed as Proteas duo Kapp and Wolvaardt guide Delhi into WPL playoffs

Venkateswaran N

ByVenkateswaran N,SportsCafe Editor

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Delhi Capitals beat UP Warriorz by five wickets in the final group game of the WPL in Vadodara. Marizanne Kapp led a disciplined bowling performance with a three-wicket haul to restrict the Warriorz to a modest total before Laura Wolvaardt top-scored in the chase to take the side into the playoffs.

Marizanne Kapp celebrates a dismissal with her Delhi Capitals teammates in the game against UP Warriorz in the WPL in Vadodara.

‌Delhi Capitals marched into the playoffs of the Women’s Premier League 2025-26 campaign with a five-wicket win over UP Warriorz in Vadodara on Sunday. Marizanne Kapp led an incisive bowling show from the Capitals to tie the Warriorz down to a below-par total before Laura Wolvaardt hit seven boundaries during her 36-ball 47 to anchor the innings for major part of the chase. The win meant that the Capitals will face Gujarat Giants in the Eliminator on Tuesday, while the Mumbai Indians, who were level on points with the Delhi outfit at the start of the game, were knocked out.

After being put in at the Kotambi Stadium, the Warriorz had the worst possible start with captain Meg Lanning being trapped in front of the wicket by Chinelle Henry off the first ball of the match. And the UP-based outfit never recovered from that despite Deepti Sharma’s promising start with four boundaries in the first four overs. The Indian all-rounder hit a six off Kapp before being outfoxed by the veteran with a clever slower delivery in the same over. Incidentally, Deepti was their top run-getter with a 19-ball 24 and her dismissal in the last ball of the powerplay meant the Warriorz stared down the barrel with the score reading 36/3. Though the batting unit kept losing wickets at regular intervals, crucial knocks from Simran Shaikh (22) and Shikha Pandey (23*) took the side to 122/8 and ensured that the Warriorz bowlers had something to bowl at. Meanwhile Kapp was the pick among the Capitals’ bowlers with a spell of 3/30 in four overs while Shree Charani and Henry finished with two apiece.

In reply, the Capitals’ chase started cautiously with openers Lizelle Lee and Shafali Verma looking a bit scratchy on a sluggish surface. Lee got out chasing a side delivery from Deandra Dottin, getting caught at mid off in the second over, while number three Laura Wolvaardt was fortunate to be dropped three times by a sloppy Warriorz in the space of three overs as the Capitals ended the powerplay at an underwhelming 38/1. However, Wolvaardt made full use of the reprieves to break the shackles with four classy boundaries off Kranti Gaud in the ninth over to put the chase back on track. The Warriorz’s woes on the field continued with Charli Knott dropping Shafali in Deepti’s second over but the off-spinner was rewarded a ball later with Sophie Ecclestone holding on to a hard chance to finally dismiss Wolvaardt. Just as the batting side was looking comfortable with only 27 runs to get off the last six over and eight wickets remaining, Shafali’s struggling knock of 29 off 33 balls came to an end. And there was more drama in store as Kapp and Henry departed cheaply in the next two overs to put the Capitals in a spot of bother at 101/5. However, captain Jemimah Rodrigues and Niki Prasad held their nerve to take the side home with eight balls to spare. Jemimah remained unbeaten on 34 off 18 balls, with five boundaries as Delhi went past the target to finish at 126/5. Meanwhile, Deepti ended with figures of 2/27 in 3.4 overs, with Shikha Pandey, Dottin and Ecclestone picking up a wicket apiece.

Convinced

Boring

Please dont

Salute

Again

Why?

Qualified

Done and dusted

Wobble

Big one

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