Delhi Capitals skipper Jemimah Rodrigues called correctly in Vadodara and, without hesitation, put Gujarat Giants in to bat in tonight’s WPL 2026 Eliminator. Neither side tinkered with personnel, so the XIs that finished the group stage remain intact.
Rodrigues explained her decision in simple terms: “any target looks chaseable” on a surface yet to be used this season. Ashleigh Gardner, leading a Giants outfit that won all five of their matches when batting first, shrugged off the toss. She stressed beforehand that she would have batted first anyway, preferring scoreboard pressure in a knockout.
Form lines are tight. Gujarat, second on the ladder, arrive on a three-game winning streak. Delhi had to win three of their last four to inch ahead of Mumbai Indians and book this fixture. It is Delhi’s maiden Eliminator; last year they topped the table and went straight to the final. The Giants, by contrast, were here 12 months ago but fell to MI.
During the pitch report former India captain Mithali Raj noted the square was “dry underneath” and predicted “bounce on offer”, before adding it looked a “good track to bat on”. That assessment hints at runs if batters settle quickly, but fresh strips can be unpredictable.
The Giants also carry the psychological edge, having beaten Delhi twice in the league phase. Yet knockouts often brush aside recent history; one sharp powerplay or a tidy death spell tends to decide things.
Gujarat Giants XI: Beth Mooney (wk), Sophie Devine, Anushka Sharma, Ash Gardner (capt), Georgia Wareham, Bharti Fulmali, Kanika Ahuja, Kashvee Gautam, Tanuja Kanwer, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Renuka Singh.
Delhi Capitals XI: Lizelle Lee (wk), Shafali Verma, Laura Wolvaardt, Jemimah Rodrigues (capt), Marizanne Kapp, Chinelle Henry, Niki Prasad, Sneh Rana, Minnu Mani, Nandani Sharma, N Shree Charani.
