Delhi Capitals edge past UP Warriorz to seal WPL eliminator spot

Delhi Capitals secured a tense 5-wicket victory over UP Warriorz on Sunday, booking their place in the WPL Eliminator . Batting second at BCA Stadium, Capitals chased down a modest target of 123, finishing on 126/5 in 18.4 overs , while UP Warriorz managed 122/8 in their 20 overs .

UP Warriorz’s innings never quite clicked at full throttle. Shafali Verma struggled to find momentum, and her opening partner, Lizelle Lee, offered little resistance. While the Warriorz had previously faced issues with their powerplay bowling, they showed improvement on Sunday, thanks to disciplined spells from Deandra Dottin and Shikha Pandey . However, missed chances, particularly from Laura Wolvaardt , proved costly, as pressure mounted at the other end with Shafali unable to accelerate the scoring.

The Capitals’ chase was steady if not spectacular. Jemimah Rodrigues emerged as the key player, striking several crucial boundaries in the final overs, including the match-winning drive through cover. Her innings ensured that Delhi remained on course despite losing Chinelle Henry to a spectacular caught-and-bowled by Deepti Sharma in the 16th over. Niki Prasad also contributed with timely singles, keeping the scoreboard ticking.

“This is not our most convincing chase, but it gets the job done,” remarked a relieved Capitals camp. With this win, Delhi joins the Eliminator stage, while Mumbai Indians’ title defence ends prematurely, and Meg Lanning’s UP Warriorz finish at the bottom of the table.

Scorecard:

• UP Warriorz: 122/8 (20 overs)

• Delhi Capitals: 126/5 (18.4 overs)