Delhi Capitals Register First WPL 2026 Win, Defeat UP Warriorz by 7 Wickets

Delhi Capitals finally opened their account in the 2026 Women’s Premier League with a thrilling seven-wicket win over UP Warriorz at DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai on Wednesday, pulling off the chase off the final ball of the match. The win was Delhi’s first in three games this season, while UP Warriorz remained winless.

Batting first, UP Warriorz were restricted to a modest 154 for 8 , despite being well placed for a bigger total in the middle overs. The innings was anchored by Meg Lanning (54 off 38) and Harleen Deol (47) , who shared an 85-run partnership to stabilise the innings after early trouble. However, UP’s hopes of a strong finish collapsed dramatically in the death overs as they lost six wickets in the final five overs and scored only 24 runs in that phase.

The most debated moment came when UP Warriorz decided to retire out Harleen Deol on 47 before the 17th over in a bid to accelerate scoring. The tactical gamble backfired immediately, as UP managed only 13 runs while losing four wickets in the final three overs, leaving the side well short of a par score on a good batting surface. This incident also added to the growing discussion around the “retired out” tactic in WPL 2026, coming just a day after the league witnessed its first-ever retired-out batter.

Delhi Capitals’ chase was dominated by Lizelle Lee , who continued her explosive form with a match-winning 67 off 44 balls , featuring eight fours and three sixes . After scoring 86 in the previous match, Lee once again set the platform for Delhi, making a strong statement as she pushes for a potential international return, having last played for South Africa in 2022. Shafali Verma (36 off 32) supported well at the top, but Delhi failed to finish the chase early despite being in control for long periods.

The match turned tense in the closing stages after Delhi lost wickets and allowed UP to drag the game deep. Jemimah Rodrigues (21 off 12) fell in the penultimate over, visibly disappointed at not closing the chase herself. UP’s Sophie Ecclestone bowled a tight final over, but Laura Wolvaardt (25 off 24) * kept her composure and struck the winning boundary off the last delivery to seal the much-needed win for Delhi.

For Delhi, Marizanne Kapp was the pick of the bowlers with 2 for 24 , while UP Warriorz will be left to reflect on yet another missed opportunity a promising position turning into a costly collapse and a controversial decision that didn’t deliver the desired payoff.