In a match that shattered record books and redefined what is possible in the Women’s Premier League, the Delhi Capitals, led by a breathtaking opening partnership between Laura Wolvaardt and Lizelle Lee, chased down a mammoth 210 to defeat the Gujarat Giants by seven wickets with five balls to spare.
The victory was built on the back of the highest-ever chase in WPL history and a blistering opening stand that effectively won the game in the Powerplay itself.
Record-Setting Foundation
Chasing a daunting 210, Delhi needed a fast start, and they got a historic one. The opening pair of Lizelle Lee (86 off 54) and Shafali Verma (14 off 12) plundered 80 runs in the first six overs—the second-highest Powerplay total in WPL history. Lee was in destructive form, hitting 12 fours and 3 sixes, while Wolvaardt, who joined after Verma’s dismissal, seamlessly took over the aggressor’s role.
Wolvaardt’s Masterclass
Laura Wolvaardt played an innings of sublime timing and power, finishing unbeaten on 63 from just 32 balls. Her fifty came off 28 deliveries, and her partnership with Lee, worth 93 runs, broke the back of the chase. Even after Lee fell heartbreakingly short of a century, Wolvaardt remained ice-cool, guiding the innings home with Jemimah Rodrigues (8*) amidst late drama.
A Chase of Supreme Confidence
The Capitals never let the required rate climb out of sight. They targeted the Giants’ bowling strategically, with a particular assault on the spinners, who conceded 108 runs in 8 overs. The 18th over, bowled by Ashleigh Gardner, yielded 19 runs, and the 19th, bowled by Kashvee Gautam (who also bowled two no-balls), went for 18, sealing the result in spectacular fashion.
Giants’ Innings in Vain
Earlier, the Gujarat Giants, powered by a sensational Sophie Devine blitz of 95 from just 42 balls (7 fours, 8 sixes), had posted what seemed like an insurmountable 209. Devine’s assault included a 32-run over off Sneh Rana, tying the record for the most expensive over in WPL history. Ashleigh Gardner contributed a quickfire 49, but the innings lost steam dramatically at the death, collapsing from 122/1 to 209 all out, thanks to a sensational hat-trick and five-wicket haul (5/33) from Delhi’s Nandani Sharma.
A Statement Victory
This victory is a massive statement from the Delhi Capitals. To chase 210 with such composure and dominant batting speaks to a team operating at the peak of its powers. For the Gujarat Giants, it was a cruel lesson in the volatility of T20 cricket—a monumental total built on one individual’s genius was dismantled by a collective batting effort of even greater force.
The 2026 WPL has its first true classic, and it will be remembered for the night Delhi’s openers looked a giant target in the eye and chased it down without a flinch.
