Delhi Capitals Opt to Bowl Against Gujarat Giants in WPL 2026 Eliminator

Vadodara: Delhi Capitals (DC) won the toss and elected to bowl first against Gujarat Giants (GG) in the high-stakes Eliminator match of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 at the BCA Stadium, Vadodara, on Tuesday. The winner of this knockout clash will earn a place in the final against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), scheduled to be played on February 5.

After winning the toss, Delhi Capitals captain Jemimah Rodrigues explained the decision to bowl first, citing pitch conditions and the possibility of dew later in the evening. “We would like to bowl first. It looks like a fresh pitch and any target can be chased here. With the dew coming in, the wicket should get a little better under lights,” Rodrigues said. Emphasising the importance of the contest, she added that the focus was on controlling controllables and treating the Eliminator as a completely new challenge. “If any match matters the most, it’s this one. We want to win, and we haven’t made any changes to the team,” she said.

On the other hand, Gujarat Giants skipper Ashleigh Gardner admitted that her side would have preferred to bat first but remained confident of executing their plans. “We would have liked to bat first if we had won the toss. We felt DC might want to bowl, and that’s what happened,” Gardner said. She underlined an aggressive batting approach, especially in the powerplay, as key to setting the tone. “This pitch looks similar to the previous wickets. We need to understand the conditions quickly and play accordingly. Nothing changes for us tonight, and there are no changes in our team,” she added.

Royal Challengers Bangalore sealed a direct entry into the final after an impressive league-stage performance, winning six of their eight matches to finish at the top of the points table. Gujarat Giants ended the league phase in second place with five wins, while Delhi Capitals secured the third spot with four victories, setting up this Eliminator encounter. Former champions Mumbai Indians, who managed three wins, and UP Warriors, with just two wins, failed to qualify for the knockout stage.

With a final berth at stake, both teams will be under pressure to deliver in what promises to be a closely contested encounter under lights in Vadodara.

Gujarat Giants Women’s Playing XI:
Beth Mooney (wicketkeeper), Sophie Devine, Anushka Sharma, Ashleigh Gardner (captain), Georgia Wareham, Bharti Fulmali, Kanika Ahuja, Kashvee Gautam, Tanuja Kanwer, Renuka Singh Thakur, Rajeshwari Gayakwad.

Delhi Capitals Women’s Playing XI:
Lizelle Lee (wicketkeeper), Shafali Verma, Laura Wolvaardt, Jemimah Rodrigues (captain), Marizanne Kapp, Chinelle Henry, Nikki Prasad, Sneh Rana, Minnu Mani, Shri Charan, Nandini Sharma.

Team Maverick.