Jemimah Rodrigues won her second toss in two nights and, without much fuss, put Gujarat Giants in at DY Patil. The Delhi Capitals skipper, still new to the job, reckons the surface – and the dew she expects later – make the ground “good to chase”.
Both sides keep the same XIs that started their campaigns on Saturday, though their moods could hardly be more different. Delhi were hammered by Mumbai Indians, sliding to a 50-run defeat. Gujarat, on the same strip a few hours earlier, edged past UP Warriorz by ten runs.
Rodrigues admitted the 24-hour turnaround might be helpful. “It gives us,” she said, “no time to overthink.” There is certainly not much chance to dwell on that loss to Mumbai. Shafali Verma and Lizelle Lee, opening again, will be asked to set things right quickly.
Ashleigh Gardner sounded relaxed after Gujarat’s positive start. She liked that “different people stood up at different times” – the all-rounder hinting the Giants will need another collective effort if they are to improve a modest record against Delhi. In three completed WPL seasons, Gujarat have won only two of six meetings.
The numbers, for the record:
Delhi Capitals: Shafali Verma, Lizelle Lee (wk), Laura Wolvaardt, Jemimah Rodrigues (capt), Marizanne Kapp, Niki Prasad, Chinelle Henry, Sneh Rana, Minnu Mani, N Shree Charani, Nandani Sharma.
Gujarat Giants: Beth Mooney (wk), Sophie Devine, Anushka Sharma, Ash Gardner (capt), Georgia Wareham, Bharti Fulmali, Kanika Ahuja, Kashvee Gautam, Tanuja Kanwar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Renuka Singh.
Conditions tonight should stay warm, the outfield fast. If the dew does come, bowling last may be a handful, yet Rodrigues appears comfortable backing her attack – and perhaps banking on a clearer mind second time round.
