WPL: Delhi Capitals move to top of table with emphatic win over Gujarat Giants

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], February 25 (ANI): Delhi Capitals marched to an emphatic six-wicket win over Gujarat Giants and leapfrogged to the top of the table in the ongoing Women's Premier League (WPL) 2025 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Tuesday.
Delhi Capitals' victory was set by a scorching display from their seamers in the first innings. In pursuit of a 129-run target, the Capitals lost skipper Meg Lanning cheaply for 3(13). DC seized control through Shafali Verma and Jess Jonassen.
After exercising caution initially, Shafali and Jonassen shifted gears and exploded at the right time. In the final over of the powerplay, the duo took on Ashleigh Gardner and garnered 13 runs from the over to lift DC to 46/1.
Shafali then chose Priya Mishra as her target and dispatched the ball for two towering sixes, taking the partnership past the 50-run mark. It was a fusillade of boundaries in the next overs, with Shafali smashing Gardner, smoking the ball past the boundary line for a six and topping it up with a four.
However, the Giants skipper had the last laugh after she trapped Shafali in front of the stumps to end her firey display on 44(27) and the 74-run partnership.
Jonassen stayed on the pitch to ensure the Capitals didn't suffer any hiccups for the rest of the chase. He raced to her maiden fifty in WPL with a sublime cover drive off Tanuja Kanwar, a release said.
The Giants tried to orchestrate a late comeback by dismissing Jemimah Rodrigues and Annabel Sutherland in a cluster, reducing DC to 115/4. But the damage was done by that point. Marizanne Kapp struck the winning shot to seal a win for DC with a handful of overs to spare.
Earlier in the match, after DC won the toss and put the Giants to bat, their new opening pair, Beth Mooney (10) and Harleen Deol (5) failed to make an impact. Marizanne Kapp and Shikha Pandey bowled with precision and dominated the proceedings, making short work of the opening pair.
It all started with Kapp producing a searing outswinger to have Harleen caught by wicketkeeper Sarah Bryce. Debutant Phoebe Litchfield returned to the dressing room in the same over after being pinned to the stumps for a three-ball duck.
After Kapp's rollicking spell, Shikha began her onslaught by dismissing Mooney on the first ball of the fifth over. Shikha picked her second scalp on the next ball by removing Kashvee Gautam for a golden duck.
The Giants were reeling at 31/4 at the end of the powerplay, completely undone by DC's swinging spells. Deandra Dottin tried to stage a comeback with her 26(24), but Annabel Sutherland came in to clean her up.
Bharti Fulmali provided the much-needed firepower with her unbeaten 40 from 29 deliveries. But her efforts could only take the Giants to 127/9. (ANI)