WPL 2026 Eliminator: Can Gujarat Giants trump Delhi Capitals?
What's the story
Delhi Capitals will be looking to secure their fourth consecutive Women's Premier League (WPL) final when they face Gujarat Giants in the Eliminator on Tuesday. The match will take place at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara. As one of the most consistent teams in WPL history, DC have made it to the finals every season since its inception. Meanwhile, GG will fight for their maiden final appearance Here we present the preview of the Eliminator clash.
Details
Pitch report and streaming details
The Kotambi Stadium pitch has been balanced throughout the series, with an average first innings score of around 158 runs. Teams batting first have won five of the nine games in Vadodara this season. However, dew could play a major role in the match, making it difficult for bowlers in the second innings. The match will be broadcast live on JioStar Network Channels and JioHotstar app/website at 7:30pm IST.
Team resilience
Gujarat Giants are on a three-match winning streak
Gujarat Giants enter the eliminator on a high, having bounced back from a three-match losing streak with a hat-trick of wins. While GG finished second in the points table with five wins in eight games, DC recorded four wins and as many defeats. Though the latter has struggled with consistency in the season, their experience in past knock-out matches should come in handy.
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Here is the head-to-head record
The Giants will be confident after beating the Capitals in both league games this season. As per ESPNcricinfo, the two teams have overall played eight games against each other, claiming four victories each.
Team line-ups
Probable playing XIs for the match
DC (Probable XI): Shafali Verma, Lizelle Lee (wk), Laura Wolvaardt, Jemimah Rodrigues (c), Marizanne Kapp, Chinelle Henry, Niki Prasad, Sneh Rana, Minnu Mani, Shree Charani, Nandni Sharma. GG (Probable XI): 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.
Star players
Here are the key performers
Sophie Devine has been GG's standout performer of the tournament, taking 17 wickets while scoring 237 runs (Batting strike rate: 152.90). With 244 runs at 142.69, skipper Ashleigh Gardner has been GG's leading wicket-taker this season. DC's bowling attack has been led by pacer Nandani Sharma, who has taken most of her 14 wickets in the death overs. On the batting front, Laura Wolvaardt (241 runs at 40.16) and Lizelle Lee (240 at 30) have been solid for DC.
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Which team has qualified for the finals?
The winner of the Eliminator will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the final. Smriti Mandhana's team advanced to the summit clash on the virtue of topping the points table. GG and DC finished second and third, respectively.