Big picture – GG looking to improve net run rate
Delhi Capitals (DC) go into the clash against Gujarat Giants (GG) with renewed confidence, having won two of their last three matches to keep their campaign firmly on track. Their most notable result during that run was a stunning win over table-toppers Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Adding to the positives, Jemimah Rodrigues is beginning to find her feet in her first season as DC captain, growing confident in her tactics, and her batting has provided stability to the team in the decisive stages of the tournament.
That momentum has brought DC into a relatively comfortable position – they are currently third on the points table after Mumbai Indians moved into second place after defeating RCB. Wins in both the remaining fixtures will guarantee DC a top-two finish, while a win could also be enough depending on the margin and other results. Beating GG on Tuesday will ease the pressure considerably ahead of their final league game against UP Warriors (UPW), while a defeat will leave DC scrambling for net-run-rate calculations and a nervous wait for the rest of the results.
GG, in fourth place and just behind DC, arrived with restored confidence after stopping a three-match losing streak in dramatic fashion. Rajeshwari Gaikwad’s spin bowling and Sophie Devine’s all-round effort helped them defend their lowest score of the season in their last match against UPW. Yet, with a weaker net run-rate than most of their rivals, GG knows that momentum alone won’t be enough – they need results, and preferably big results, starting with this almost-winnable game against DC.
DC made two changes in their final match: Chinelle Henry came in for Lucy Hamilton, and Minnu Mani returned for the injured Diya Yadav. Henry is likely to retain his place, having opened the bowling and taking two wickets in the last over against RCB.
Delhi Capitals (Probable): 1 Shafali Verma, 2 Lizelle Lee (wk), 3 Jemimah Rodrigues (c), 4 Laura Wolvaardt, 5 Marizanne Kapp, 6 Nikki Prasad, 7 Chinelle Henry, 8 Minnu Mani, 9 Sneh Rana, 10 Sree Charani, 11 Nandini Sharma
GG made a few changes to their eleven against UPW by bringing in opening batsman Danny Wyatt-Hodge for the first time this season to strengthen their batting. Gaikwad, who replaced fellow left-arm spinner Tanuja Kanwar in that match, took three match-winning wickets and is sure to retain her place.
gujarat giants (Probable): 1 Beth Mooney (wk), 2 Sophie Devine, 3 Danni Wyatt-Hodge, 4 Anushka Sharma, 5 Ashley Gardner (c), 6 Kanika Ahuja, 7 Bharti Fulmali, 8 Kashvi Gautam, 9 Happy Kumari, 10 Renuka Singh, 11 Rajeshwari Gaikwad.
In the spotlight: Nandini Sharma and Ash Gardner
Of Nandini Sharma’s 13 wickets so far, nine have come in the death overs (17 to 20 overs) – the most by any bowler at this stage in four seasons of the league. He did this by conceding only 6.5 runs per over in the last few overs. This partly explains why DC have been the best team at this stage this season, scoring just 8.19 runs per over. As the competition enters its crucial phase, Nandini’s control at the end of the innings – particularly through his back-of-the-hand slower ball, which is also earning him wickets – will be central to DC’s plans.
In all versions, this has been Ash Gardner’s most expensive season with the ball. In six matches so far, the GG captain has taken four wickets at an economy rate of 10.17, one of only three GG bowlers to concede more than ten runs per over this season. While he has scored two fifties and a 49 with the bat, GG will benefit even more from tough spells from their star all-rounder, especially when they most expensive bowling team In this WPL.
Expect another low-scoring game in Vadodara. The batsmen have had to struggle against the low bounce and slow pace of the black clay surface at the Kotambi Stadium. In the last two matches here, the teams were out for 109 and 108 runs. Tuesday evening could be cool, with dew expected to play a role.
When these two teams met at the DY Patil Stadium at the start of this competition, a total of 414 runs were scored: Divine nearly scored his first century of the league, Nandini took a hat-trick, and GG won by four runs in the final over to top the table.