Mumbai: Delhi Capitals opened on Wednesday at Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy boosted their Women’s Premier League 2026 account with a thrilling seven-wicket win against UP Warriorz.
Chasing a target of 155, Delhi Capitals ended the chase with 7 wickets in hand after an assured batting performance that delivered contributions throughout the innings. Openers Shafali Verma and Lizelle Lee laid the foundation with a strong opening stand, with Shafali scoring 36 from 32 deliveries, including six boundaries. Lee initiated the chase with a fluent 67 off 44 balls, including eight fours and three sixes.
Despite a brief wobble in the middle overs, Laura Wolvaardt (25* off 24) and skipper Jemimah Rodrigues (21 off 14) held their nerve and guided the Capitals over the line. Earlier, the Delhi Capitals bowlers made a disciplined attempt to restrict UP Warriorz to 154 for 8, led by Marizanne Kapp’s figures of 2 for 24, while Shafali Verma produced impressive figures of 2 for 16 to keep the score under control until the middle overs.
Looking back at the tense finish to the last ball, Delhi Capitals batsman Laura Wolvaardt said: “Very, very relieved. There was definitely some tension because it was a pretty similar equation to the last game. At some point me and Jemi were batting again so I had a few flashbacks but it was very nice that we got over the line this time.”
Speaking about the nature of the surface and the challenges it posed, Wolvaardt said: “It was a much slower pitch and it lasted a bit more than last night, with a lot more spin. On the previous wicket there was no spin and it slid on well, so it was a completely different challenge. We probably could have taken a bit more responsibility earlier to not go so deep, but we managed to get the job done.”
Praising opening partner Lizelle Lee and her influence at the top of the order, Wolvaardt added: “She was wonderful. I’m really happy for her that she was able to contribute. She has consistently batted like that in franchise cricket in Australia and played a lot of cricket. It’s really nice to play with her again. We had a very good opening partnership for South Africa so it was great to bat together again and she is a very destructive player.”
About skipper Jemimah Rodrigues and her leadership, Wolvaardt said: “Jemi has been great. She is a really good people person and knows how to communicate with everyone and get the best out of the group. As the new captain she had a lot to bear but she handled it really well and was a great inspiration to the team.”
