Delhi Capitals Secure Direct Qualification Into Women's Premier League Final With Win Over Gujarat Giants

The big-hitting Shafali Verma led the way with a blazing 37-ball 71 as a dominant Delhi Capitals secured direct qualification into the final of the Women's Premier League with a seven-wicket hammering of Gujarat Giants in New Delhi on Wednesday. Table-toppers Delhi Capitals entered the game looking to bag a direct spot in the final and once their bowlers restricted Giants to 126 for nine with a disciplined show at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, the hosts inched closer to realising their goal.

In the final on Sunday, the Capitals will play the winner of the eliminator between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore.

As she is wont to, Shafali launched into a furry of boundaries, including hitting as many as five sixes and seven fours, to help her side complete the chase of 127 without much ado.

DC finished the game with as many as 41 balls remaining.

Shafali reached her fifty in just 28 balls. She got to the landmark with a four over extra cover off Mannat Kashyap.

The duo of Shafali and Jemimah Rodrigues (38 not out) then bludgeoned Meghna Singh for 20 runs, and Ashleigh Gardner was also carted for 28 runs in two overs.

Earlier, Delhi Capitals' bowlers produced a fine effort to restrict Gujarat Giants to a modest total.

If it was not for Bharati Fulmali's 36-ball 42 and Kathryn Bryce's unbeaten 28, the Giants would have finished with a much lower total.

South African veteran Marizanne Kapp led the way with fine figures of 2/17 in four overs, bowling beautifully in the powerplay, while there were also two wickets apiece for Shikha Pandey and Minnu Mani.

Gugarat Giants' decision to bat first on winning the toss backfired as they found themselves in a spot of bother at 12/2 in the fourth over, including losing the big