The victory lifted the Giants to second place on the points table and brought them a big step closer to the knockouts.
Gujarat Giants 174/9 (Mooney 58, Anushka 39; Charani 4/31, Henry 2/38) beat Delhi Capitals 171/8 (Prasad 47; Devine 4/37, Gayakwad 3/20) by three runs
It was a sense of déjà vu for Delhi Capitals. On January 11, Sophie Devine had successfully defended six runs in the final over to hand Gujarat Giants their second win of the season. Sixteen days later, she was once again entrusted with a tense finish—this time defending eight runs in the last over of DC’s chase of 175, despite conceding 23 runs in her previous over.
Devine rose to the occasion yet again, dismissing Niki Prasad and Sneh Rana to seal a thrilling three-run victory for the Giants. The win propelled Gujarat Giants to second place on the points table and significantly strengthened their push towards the knockouts.
Before the dramatic finish, Delhi Capitals had looked well in the hunt, sparked by late cameos from Niki Prasad and Sneh Rana. From a precarious 100 for 6, the pair added a rapid 70 off just 31 balls, pushing Gujarat Giants to the brink and nearly pulling off a remarkable turnaround.
Anushka’s brisk start
Anushka Sharma came in at 19 for 1 after Sophie Devine was dismissed by Marizanne Kapp in the third over and, during a short but influential stay, seized the momentum from DC. Initially tentative, she quickly found her rhythm, backing her bottom hand and focusing on timing rather than power. A back-foot punch past mid-off off Nandani Sharma brought her first boundary, followed by a deft clip through midwicket that highlighted her growing control at the crease.
Kapp, who has the best powerplay economy in this WPL at under five, felt the pressure in the fifth over as Anushka cut loose, unfurling three fours with fluent drives and effortless whips through square leg. Anushka finished with eight boundaries and looked set for a substantial score, but after being dropped by Chinelle Henry at mid-off off N Shree Charani, she went for a slog sweep off the very next delivery and was caught by Minnu Mani at deep midwicket for 39, leaving Gujarat Giants 73 for 2 in the ninth over.
Mooney’s first fifty of the season
Beth Mooney anchored the innings with a calm, assured knock. On 16 off 18 balls when Anushka departed, she had managed just one boundary until then. At the halfway mark, the Giants were 80 for 2. Jemimah Rodrigues’ decision to bowl out Kapp in the 11th over, however, swung the momentum in Mooney’s favour, as she struck three fours in the over. With her timing in place, Mooney added two more boundaries through backward point to bring up her first fifty of the season, off 40 balls. Her innings ended in the 17th over when she was deceived by Nandani Sharma’s slower delivery.
The innings then fell away, with Gujarat Giants losing wickets in a heap between the 15th and 18th overs. Georgia Wareham, Bharti Fulmali, Kanika Ahuja and Kashvee Gautam all departed in quick succession, with Charani even picking up two wickets in a single over.
Just when Delhi Capitals looked to have wrested control, Tanuja Kanwar—returning after missing the previous match—gave the Giants a crucial late surge. Her brisk 21 off just 11 balls pushed GG to a competitive 174. Kanwar capped the innings with a stunning final over, taking 15 runs off Chinelle Henry, including two fours and a towering six straight over the bowler’s head. Charani ended as DC’s standout bowler, finishing with figures of 4 for 31.
GG’s middle-overs brilliance
Delhi Capitals began the chase at a brisk pace, reaching 41 for 1 after five overs. However, Sophie Devine struck on the final ball of the powerplay, deceiving Lizelle Lee with a slower delivery. From the seventh over onwards, Tanuja Kanwar and Ash Gardner tightened the screws, bowling disciplined lines to Laura Wolvaardt and Jemimah Rodrigues and conceding just 15 runs across three overs.
Although Georgia Wareham was taken for 12 in the tenth over, it prompted the captain to reintroduce Devine—and she made an immediate impact, knocking over Rodrigues’ stumps as the batter attempted a scoop. Two balls later, Gardner removed Marizanne Kapp, and by the end of 12 overs, DC’s required run rate had risen sharply to 11.37. Wolvaardt soon fell to Gayakwad, leaving DC 85 for 5, before another wicket made it 100 for 6, with 75 runs still needed from 33 balls.
Prasad and Rana’s late fireworks in vain
Niki Prasad and Sneh Rana launched a stunning late assault that nearly pulled off an unlikely win. In her 25-ball 47, the 20-year-old Prasad hammered nine fours, while Rana chipped in with two sixes and three fours to drag the target within touching distance. Prasad showed intent from ball one, slicing and lofting shots past mid-off, short third and extra cover, highlighted by a breathtaking sequence of three consecutive fours off Devine. Their partnership breathed fresh life into DC’s chase.
However, Devine had the final say. In the last over, she dismissed both set batters, holding her nerve under pressure. Even as DC pushed for desperate twos and ran frantically between the wickets, Devine’s clever use of slower balls and sharp field placements forced catches in the deep, enabling Gujarat Giants to cling on for a dramatic victory.
