New Delhi, February 3, 2026: A commanding seven-wicket victory with 26 balls to spare against the Gujarat Giants in the Eliminator saw us book a place in our fourth consecutive WPL final. Our girls delivered a complete all-round performance, once again underlining our remarkable consistency on the biggest stage.
At the toss, a familiar script played out as our skipper won it yet again and opted to field first. Chinelle Henry set the tone early, removing the dangerous Sophie Devine. Nandini Sharma then joined the party, striking twice in two balls, a spell that saw her become the highest Indian wicket taker in a single edition of the WPL.
Gujarat Giants managed to post a total of 168, leaving 169 runs standing between us and a spot in the final. What followed was sheer dominance from the outset as Lizelle Lee and Shafali Verma came out with clear intent. We raced to 75 runs in the powerplay, with Lizelle blazing her way to 43 off just 24 balls at a strike rate of 179.16.
After the explosive start, Laura Wolvaardt and Jemimah Rodrigues stepped up when it mattered most. The duo stitched together a crucial 68-run partnership, calmly steering us closer to the finish line. It was then our South African pair of Laura and Marizanne Kapp who added the finishing touches, with Kapp sealing the chase with the winning runs.
Our skipper was deservedly named Player of the Match, leading from the front with a fluent 41 runs at a strike rate of 178.26. It was a performance that reflected our team spirit, belief and determination as we secured our place in the final.
We are now just one game away from lifting our first-ever WPL trophy. The final promises a fascinating battle of frenemies as Jemimah and Smriti go head-to-head when we take on the Royal Challengers Bengaluru on February 5 in Vadodara. Everything to play for.
