The atmosphere at the Kotambi International Cricket Stadium in Vadodara was electric this Sunday evening as the Delhi Capitals (DC) Women officially punched their ticket to the WPL 2026 Playoffs. In a high-stakes 20th match of the season, DC overcame the UP Warriorz (UPW) by five wickets, fueled by a clinical bowling masterclass from Marizanne Kapp and a composed pursuit led by Laura Wolvaardt.
Marizanne Kapp destroys UP Warriorz’s top order in a ‘Do or Die’ fixture
Winning the toss and electing to bowl, Delhi Capitals made their intentions clear from the very first delivery. Chinelle Henry set the tone by dismissing the dangerous Meg Lanning for a golden duck. However, it was Kapp who turned the match into a nightmare for the Warriorz. Kapp’s opening spell was a display of elite seam bowling, finishing with remarkable figures of 3/30.
Kapp dismantled the UPW core, removing Charli Knott (12) and the set Deepti Sharma (24) just as a partnership began to brew. The South African veteran then used a successful DRS referral to trap Deandra Dottin (5) LBW, leaving the Warriorz reeling at 52/5 within ten overs. Despite a late-order cameo from Shikha Pandey, who remained unbeaten on 23 off 13 balls, and a steady 10 from Sophie Ecclestone, UPW were restricted to a subpar 122/8. The DC bowling unit operated like a well-oiled machine, with Shree Charani and Henry chipping in with two wickets apiece to keep the pressure relentless.
Laura Wolvaardt and Jemimah Rodrigues seal playoff berth for Delhi Capitals
Chasing a modest target of 123, Delhi Capitals faced an early hiccup when Lizelle Lee fell to Dottin in the second over. However, Wolvaardt stepped up to anchor the innings with a sophisticated 47 off 36 balls. Displaying her trademark cover drives and impeccable timing, Wolvaardt shared a crucial 73-run stand with Shafali Verma (29), effectively taking the game away from the Warriorz.
The match saw a brief flurry of drama during the middle overs as Deepti struck twice, removing Wolvaardt and Henry in quick succession. When Kapp fell for a duck to Ecclestone, the Vadodara crowd held its breath with the score at 101/5. But captain Jemimah Rodrigues showed nerves of steel, smashing a blistering 34 off just 18 deliveries. Rodrigues’ aggressive approach shifted the momentum back instantly, as she hammered five boundaries to close the game with 8 balls to spare.
With this victory, the Delhi Capitals cement their status as title favorites, moving into the top three on the table and securing their postseason spot. For the UP Warriorz, the defeat marks a somber end to a challenging campaign, as fans in the stands celebrated DC’s clinical storm into the playoffs.
Here’s how fans reacted:
Delhi Capitals have qualified for the Eliminator 🔥👏#WPL2026 #DCvsUPW pic.twitter.com/cHuVgj3nWZ
— WomenCricket.com (@WomenCricketHQ) February 1, 2026
DCW with a fantastic bowling display to restrict #UPW to 122/8 🎯
Marizanne Kapp (3 wickets), Chinelle Henry & Sree Charani starred as Delhi Capitals choked UP Warriorz in Vadodara! A low total of 123 to chase in this must-win clash—victory seals DC’s spot in the Eliminator &… pic.twitter.com/hJMqWNXHsK
— Kanak Kumari (@KanakKu64995524) February 1, 2026
A successful powerplay for #DC 🙌
Delhi Capitals’ bowlers struck early, claiming 3 wickets in the powerplay against UP Warriorz in their must-win WPL 2026 clash at Vadodara! Marizanne Kapp and Chinelle Henry led the charge, leaving UPW reeling. DC on top in this crucial contest!… pic.twitter.com/8CRXCvoxFx
— Kanak Kumari (@KanakKu64995524) February 1, 2026
Marizanne Kapp in WPL 2026:
at NAVI MUMBAI
Wickets – 3
Average – 32.3
Economy – 6.1
at VADODARA
Wickets – 7
Average – 12.7
Economy – 5.6#DCvsUPW #WPL2026
— Sahil Pednekar 🇮🇳 (@statsbysahil) February 1, 2026
Thank you Chinelle Henry🫡
Thank You Marizanne Kapp 👑
Nd Well Done Captain Jemi 🫂👏🏼🫶🏼
— 🐇🐰🐇 (@Pdg091) February 1, 2026
Big game. Big moment. Big Kapp 💥
Marizanne Kapp shines with 4-0-30-3 vs UPW in DC’s most crucial match of the campaign 🔥#WPL2026 #TATAWPL #DCvUPW pic.twitter.com/LhDHwqh0nm
— Arshy (@imArshit) February 1, 2026
🚨 HISTORY BY DELHI CAPITALS 🚨
Finally, Delhi Capitals has made it through to the Playoffs after beating UP Warriorz 👏🏼
After the first 4 matches, DC were almost out of the WPL, but they made a comeback to remember in the last 4 matches🔥#WPL2026 pic.twitter.com/YE7YfVXwHB
— Richard Kettleborough (@RichKettle07) February 1, 2026
Delhi Capitals is definitely a complete unit & one of the strongest teams in the WPL 2026. DC is definitely peaking at the right time.
– Shafali Verma starts the proceedings quickly. She starts with a bang & a handy bowler too
– Lizelle Lee is a run machine that keeps going on &… pic.twitter.com/axvjoKuteW
— Akshat (@Akshatgoel1408) February 1, 2026
2023 – Finalist.
2024 – Finalist.
2025 – Finalist.
2026 – Qualified into Playoffs.
DELHI CAPITALS – MOST CONSISTENT TEAM IN WPL HISTORY ✅ pic.twitter.com/9iE1fjzBmp
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) February 1, 2026
DELHI CAPITALS WOMEN IN WPL
2023: Runners-up
2024: Runners-up
2025: Runners-up
2026: Qualified for Eliminator@DelhiCapitals#WPL2026 pic.twitter.com/qiSjsYkywp
— RAHIL (@RahilSherasiy19) February 1, 2026
Also READ: Ashleigh Gardner reveals her favourite women cricketer in fun rapid-fire challenge
This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.
