Vadodara, Feb 3 (IANS) Delhi Capitals won the toss and elected to bowl first against Gujarat Giants in the crucial Eliminator tie of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 at the BCA Stadium (Kotambi). With both sides heading into the contest with an unchanged XI from their previous game, the winner will go on to face Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the final on Thursday.

The fourth edition of the Women’s Premier League has been characterised by narrow margins, making dominant wins uncommon. Delhi Capitals have experienced this pressure firsthand, failing twice in run chases against Gujarat Giants in the league stage and struggling to finish close games under the steady leadership of Sophie Devine.

Those results shaped contrasting routes to the eliminator. Gujarat Giants finished second on the table, sealing their spot with an impressive win over defending champions Mumbai Indians on the final league day. Delhi, in contrast, had to wait until the very end to confirm qualification. Yet, as the Eliminator arrives, past journeys matter little.

Both teams arrive with strong recent form at the venue, winning three of their last four matches and having settled into their line-ups after brief tactical adjustments. The main difference is in depth: Delhi Capitals have received match-winning contributions from many players, whereas Gujarat Giants rely heavily on a few key individuals. Whether this reliance costs them, or Devine once again steps up to lead the Giants to their first final, promises an exciting knockout clash.

Winning the toss, DC skipper Jemimah Rodrigues said, “It looks like a fresh surface. Any target feels chaseable, and with the dew coming in, the pitch should get a little better under lights. Just control the controllables is the message to the team. Today is a new game, if any game matters the most it is tonight. So want to win.”

Meanwhile, GG captain Ashleigh Gardner said, “We were going to bat and just had a feeling they might want to bowl and it worked out well. We want to be aggressive with the bat and take it on the powerplay. Nothing changes for us tonight. Looks very similar to the last couple of wickets. Assess conditions quickly and adapt on the run.”

Playing XIs:

Delhi Capitals: Shafali Verma, Lizelle Lee (wk), Laura Wolvaardt, Jemimah Rodrigues (c), Marizanne Kapp, Chinelle Henry, Niki Prasad, Sneh Rana, Minnu Mani, Shree Charani, Nandni Sharma

Gujarat Giants: Beth Mooney (wk), Sophie Devine, Anushka Sharma, Ashleigh Gardner (c), Georgia Wareham, Bharti Fulmali, Kanika Ahuja, Kashvee Gautam, Tanuja Kanwer, Renuka Singh Thakur, Rajeshwari Gayakwad

–IANS

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