Lizelle Lee and Shafali Varma put on outstanding performances with bat and ball to set the Delhi Capitals up for a thrilling seven-wicket win over the UP Warriorz in their Women’s Premier League (WPL) match at the DY Patil Stadium on Wednesday night.
This is the first win of the season for the Capitals, who lost their first two outings.
The Warriorz are now the only team yet to record a win this season and they became the second team to lose their first three games of a WPL season.
FINALLY 😮💨🔥 pic.twitter.com/2KwRDeom1T
— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) January 14, 2026
The first team to do that was the Gujarat Giants in 2024.
“I am very happy. I know it was a nail-biting finish. So proud of the way the girls played. They just kept their calm. Such things happen in cricket. But it feels good to be on the winning side,” Jemimah Rodrigues, the Capitals’ captain, shared after the match.
Rodrigues elected to bowl first in the first two matches and did not change her approach against the Warriorz.
The toss went her way and she chose to bowl first. Her bowlers answered the call and restricted the Warriorz to 154-8. The Capitals scored 158-3 to clinch victory.
Lee struck an assured 67 from 44 balls (8X4, 3X6). This is her second WPL half-century and she faced 31 deliveries to reach the milestone.
This is her second half-century in two matches, after her 54-ball 86 against the Gujarat Giants on Sunday.
31-ball FIFTY 👏
— Women's Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) January 14, 2026
Lizelle Lee is hitting it clean in #DC's chase for their first win of the season 👌 #TATAWPL | #KhelEmotionKa | #UPWvDC | @DelhiCapitals pic.twitter.com/pgQbcn4yhu
Her brilliant innings ended when she tried to bash a Deepti Sharma delivery over long-on. The stroke didn’t have enough elevation and went straight to Kiran Navgire.
Lee shared a fruitful 94-run opening partnership with Shafali Verma. The 21-year-old India Women star struggled to pierce the field and scored a laboured 36 from 32 balls; however, her effort was enough to set the Capitals up for victory.
The Warriorz mounted a fightback at the death, but Laura Wolvaardt (25*) held her nerve and steered the Capitals to victory.
Nerves of steel! 🧊
— Women's Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) January 14, 2026
🎥 Laura Wolvaardt sees @DelhiCapitals through in a last-ball thriller 👏#DC get their first win of the campaign 💙
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/4vXszSqbQO #TATAWPL | #KhelEmotionKa | #UPWvDC pic.twitter.com/TdUWbq91K3
She shared a 37-run third-wicket partnership with Rodrigues (21) that took the Capitals to the brink of victory, before finishing the job off in the company of Marizanne Kapp (5*).
“It was an excellent effort from the bowlers to take it that deep. It was tougher to bat, when pace was taken off. Felt we were in the game if we bowled well. Great effort to take it that deep,” Meg Lanning, the Warriorz’s captain, shared after the match.
WARRIORZ SUFFOCATED
Earlier in the evening, Verma inspired the Capitals’ comeback with the ball.
The allrounder took two wickets for 16 runs in four overs as she applied the squeeze on the Warriorz.
She combined well with Marizanne Kapp, who also took a brace of wickets, but conceded 24 runs in four overs.
You can always depend on Kappie 👏🐅 pic.twitter.com/PdSYBnH9Be
— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) January 14, 2026
“I think all our bowlers bowled well, but I think Shafali stood out. She always contributes either with the bat or the ball,” Rodrigues said.
Shafali Verma: The all-rounder 😎
— Women's Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) January 14, 2026
She is adjudged the Player of the Match for her defining all-round contributions 👌
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/4vXszSqbQO #TATAWPL | #KhelEmotionKa | #UPWvDC | @DelhiCapitals | @TheShafaliVerma pic.twitter.com/uigzUN5iNg
Rodrigues introduced Verma into the attack in the 13th over, and the spinner applied the brakes on the Warriorz’s scoring.
The Warriorz’s pair of Meg Lanning and Harleen Deol (47) had trouble reading her off-breaks, and the pressure Shafali created led to the collapse of their partnership.
Lanning and Deol shared an 85-run third-wicket partnership and it was the Warriorz’s highest.
Lanning, who scored a 38-ball 54, was the aggressor, while Deol anchored.
This is Lanning’s 10th WPL half-century and she faced 32 balls to reach the milestone.
She lost her wicket while trying to execute a pick-up shot off Nandani Sharma's bowling.
Instead of clearing the boundary, Lanning found Chinelle Henry close to the ropes.
Deol was supposed to take over the innings after Lanning’s dismissal; however the Capitals bowled well and suffocated the Warriorz.
The Warriorz did not make things better for themselves by retiring out Deol, their in-batter, and replacing her with Chloe Tryon, whose stay in the middle lasted only three deliveries.
It was the beginning of the end for the Warriorz. They lost six wickets for 24 runs in their last five overs as their innings trailed off.
“Tryon is a boundary hitter and we wanted to maximise that as much as we could. Harleen batted well. We make a decision based on what is best for the team. Unfortunately for Harleen, it is what happened. Some days it works, sometimes it doesn't,” Lanning explained.