Delhi Capitals defeated UP Warriorz by 5 wickets in the 20th and final league match of the Women’s Premier League to secure a playoff berth. With this crucial victory, Delhi qualified for the Eliminator, while this result ended the tournament for the defending champions, Mumbai Indians, and UP Warriors. Delhi Capitals dominated UP Warriorz in every department at the Vadodara ground.
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UP Warriorz Restricted to a Low Score
Losing the toss and opting to bat first, UP Warriors had a disappointing start. Experienced captain Meg Lanning was dismissed off the very first ball of the innings without opening her account. After this, none of the UP batters could build a significant partnership against Delhi’s lethal bowling. Deepti Sharma top-scored with 24 runs, while Simran Sheikh tried to steady the team with a short but quick innings of 22 runs off 14 balls. Thanks to Shikha Pandey’s unbeaten 23, UP reached a respectable score of 122/8 in 20 overs.
Sharp bowling by Delhi Capitals Bowlers
Delhi Capitals bowlers maintained pressure on the UP batters from the very first over of the match. Marizanne Kapp displayed her excellent line and length, taking three crucial wickets and dismantling the UP top order. She was ably supported by Chinelle Henry, who took two wickets in the middle overs, ending UP’s hopes of a comeback. This disciplined bowling by Delhi meant that UP failed to post a big total despite playing the full 20 overs.
Delhi Chased the Target with Ease
Delhi Capitals got off to a strong start during the chase. Laura Wolvaardt scored a brilliant 47 off 36 balls, including seven fours. Shafali Verma laid the foundation for victory by scoring 29 runs. Their 73-run partnership made the match a breeze. Then, captain Jemimah Rodrigues played a strong innings of 34 off 18 balls to lead the team to victory. Delhi will now face Gujarat in the eliminator on February 3rd, and the winner of this match will face RCB in the final.
Jemimah Rodrigues Played a Captaincy Innings
Jemimah Rodrigues played a captaincy innings in the crucial match against UP Warriors, helping Delhi Capitals reach the playoffs. Batting first, UP Warriors posted just 122 runs on the scoreboard. In response, Delhi chased down the target for the loss of 5 wickets. Jemimah remained unbeaten on 34 off 18 balls. South Africa’s star female player, Laura Wolvadt, also played a valuable inning of 47 runs. Experienced all-rounder Marizanne Kapp, who bowled brilliantly and took 3 wickets, was named Player of the Match.
Delhi Capitals in the Playoffs for the Fourth Consecutive Time
The group stage of the Women’s Premier League 2026 has concluded. In the match played on Sunday, February 1st, Delhi Capitals defeated UP Warriors by 5 wickets to secure their place in the playoffs. Jemimah Rodriguez’s team has qualified for the playoffs for the fourth consecutive time.
Jemimah Rodriguez’s team has qualified for the playoffs for the fourth consecutive time. Delhi Capitals had reached the final in the previous three editions, but their dream of winning the trophy remains unfulfilled. Hopefully, this year they will win the trophy and become the new WPL champions.
Delhi Capitals’ victory has dealt a major blow to two teams. Along with UP Warriorz, defending champions Mumbai Indians have also been eliminated from the playoff race. Harmanpreet Kaur and company were desperately praying for the Delhi Capitals’ defeat to secure a playoff berth, but that didn’t happen.
Delhi Capitals to Face Gujarat Giants in Eliminator
Delhi Capitals, ranked No. 3 on the points table, will face Gujarat Giants in the Women’s Premier League 2026 Eliminator. This match will be played on Tuesday, February 3, at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara. The team that wins the Eliminator will face Royal Challengers Bangalore in the final on February 5. Smriti Mandhana’s team tops the points table with 12 points, making it a direct berth for the RCB.
The final league stage match of WPL 2026 was played on February 1st between UP Warriors and Delhi Capitals. Delhi won the match by 5 wickets, securing their place in the eliminator. Batting first, UP could only manage 122 runs for the loss of 8 wickets. Delhi easily achieved the target of 123 runs in 18.4 overs. This match made it clear which teams would face each other in the Eliminator match.
Royal Challengers Bangalore has already qualified for the final. Gujarat Giants have also already qualified for the Eliminator, where they will now face Delhi Capitals. This Eliminator match will be played on February 3rd at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara. The final match will be followed by the final on February 5th. RCB will face the winner of the Eliminator match in the final.
With this match, the journey of defending champions Mumbai Indians and UP Warriors ended this season. The Mumbai Indians managed to win only three out of eight matches in the group stage this season and lost five. With 6 points, their team finished in fourth place. Regarding the UP Warriors, they managed to win only two out of eight matches in the group stage, losing six. Their team finished last in the table with four points.
This is the fourth season of the WPL. This league started in 2023. The Mumbai Indians team won the first season. In 2024, the Royal Challengers Bangalore team won. In 2025, the Mumbai team won the title again. Now it will be interesting to see which team wins in 2026. Will one team from Gujarat or Delhi win the first title, or will the Royal Challengers Bengaluru win their second?