da 888casino： Capitals are already through to the playoffs, but will look to end the round-robin stage with a win
da doce： Srinidhi Ramanujam06-Mar-2025Who’s playingDelhi Capitals (DC) vs Gujarat Giants (GG)
Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow, 7.30pm ISTBig picture: Capitals in action after six daysIt is Meg Lanning vs Ashleigh Gardner again. But all eyes will be on Gujarat Giants, who have redeemed themselves with two successive wins, and are suddenly in contention for the playoffs. Having started with three losses in their first four matches, Giants would be keen to finish the Lucknow leg on a high before flying to Mumbai for their final group game. Delhi Capitals, on the other hand, were the first team to qualify for playoffs, and will be playing their final league game on Friday, after winning five out of seven matches that has kept them at the top of the points table.Giants took some time to find their feet, but they look like a settled unit now. They tried a few different combinations and handed different roles to playersm but towards the business end of the tournament, they seem to play with better clarity than before. Giants are not just dependent on Gardner and Deandra Dottin in the batting anymore, with the likes of Harleen Deol, Beth Mooney and Phoebe Litchfield stepping up.That apart, bowling still remains their biggest strength. In the three games that they won in this WPL, Giants’ bowlers have taken 26 of the 30 possible wickets. Despite limited international experience, Kashvee Gautam, Tanuja Kanwar and Priya Mishra have put their hands up to take 21 wickets between them – they have featured in all six matches so far – while allrounders Gardner and Dottin have supported them ably.Meanwhile, Capitals will be in action after six days, and will be playing their playoffs match only another six days later. Whether that will have an impact on their momentum is something to be seen. They have got many bases covered, and have almost always found a way to bounce back in a contest. Given the highly competitive nature of Lanning, her team will not take this match lightly, although they have advanced to the knockouts.When these sides met earlier in this WPL, Capitals crushed Giants by chasing down 128 with 29 balls remaining. With a playoffs spot on the line, then, will revenge be on Giants’ mind?Shafali Verma has accumulated 167 runs in the last three matches•BCCI
Form guideDelhi Capitals: WWW (last three matches, most recent first)
Gujarat Giants: WWLIn the spotlight: Shafali Verma and Tanuja KanwarAfter three scores in the 40s, Shafali Verma converted her start and made it huge, scoring an unbeaten 80 in Capitals’ previous, game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. It was an innings where she showed control and composure in a tricky chase. Having accumulated 167 runs in the last three matches and heading into a match with no pressure of qualification, Shafali will be determined to continue her good touch ahead of the playoffs.Tanuja Kanwar started this WPL quietly, taking just a solitary wicket in her first three matches. But the left-arm spinner found her grip soon, and struck six times in the next three games. She has given Giants crucial breakthroughs, and against UP Warriorz, also picked up 3 for 17 in Lucknow. With Capitals loading themselves up with right-handers – Jonassen is the only left-hand batter in their top seven – Kanwar will be expected to have a vital role on Friday.Team news: Capitals shouldn’t change winning combinationCapitals are unlikely to tinker with the winning combination which beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru comprehensively on March 1.Delhi Capitals (probable): 1 Meg Lanning (capt), 2 Shafali Verma, 3 Jess Jonassen, 4 Jemimah Rodrigues, 5 Annabel Sutherland, 6 Marizanne Kapp, 7 Sarah Bryce (wk), 8 Niki Prasad, 9 Shikha Pandey, 10 Minnu Manni, 11 Shree CharaniIt’s unlikely that Giants will promote Harleen Deol or Pheobe Litchfield to open with Beth Mooney•BCCI
Even though opening batter D Hemalatha has found little success in this tournament, Giants have persisted with her at the top of the order. It’s unlikely that they will promote Deol or Litchfield to open with Mooney.Gujarat Giants (probable): 1 Beth Mooney (wk), 2 D Hemalatha, 3 Harleen Deol, 4 Ashleigh Gardner (capt), 5 Phoebe Litchfield, 6 Deandra Dottin, 7 Kashvee Gautam, 8 Bharti Fulmali, 9 Tanuja Kanwar, 10 Meghna Singh, 11 Priya MishraKey stats Gardner has hit 15 sixes in this edition, most by a Giants batter. The next best is Dottin’s four. With the ball, Capitals have been the second-best team in the death overs (17-20) this time, having conceded 8.72 runs an over in that phase. Only Mumbai Indians (8.31) have been better than them. Meanwhile, Giants have aced the powerplay with the ball this season. They have taken 13 wickets, and conceded at only 6.08 runs an over in the first six overs – both numbers being the best among all sides.
