Sophie Devine has been the standout performer for GG.
| Photo Credit: AFP
Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Giants have already provided two humdingers of high quality in this year’s Women’s Premier League. At the D.Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on January 11, Giants racked up 209 and restricted Capitals to 205 for five to claim a four-run win. Last week, at the Kotambi Stadium, Giants again held their nerve at the close, pipping Jemimah Rodrigues and Co. by three runs.
When the two teams engage in the Eliminator on Tuesday, the stakes will be higher. The triumphant lot will advance to Thursday’s final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, while the loser will be condemned to the heartbreak of being so near and yet so far.
Evidently, there isn’t much to separate these teams. Having had a few stumbles in the first two weeks of the tournament, both camps have hit a sweet spot at the business end. Ashleigh Gardner’s side has won its last three matches. DC has prevailed in three of its last four outings.
In a contest of this magnitude, the experienced players are likely to hold the key. For Giants, Sophie Devine has been irrepressible. The 36-year-old New Zealander has contributed 237 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 152.9. Even more significant has been her output as a medium-pacer — she is the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 17 scalps.
In Capitals’ case, contributions have been perhaps more evenly spread. While Chinelle Henry and Marizanne Kapp have set the tone with the new ball, Nandani Sharma has risen to prominence with her verve and variation at the death. A bulk of the runs have been compiled by Lizelle Lee and Laura Wolvaardt. In her first season as captain, Jemimah has also shone at key moments.
If both these outfits play at the level that has brought them this far, another humdinger may well be in store.
Published – February 02, 2026 05:27 pm IST
