Giants and Capitals Look to Extend Winning Streaks

After securing consecutive victories for the first time in three WPL seasons, the Gujarat Giants, with renewed playoff ambitions, are set to face the Delhi Capitals, who lead the league, in a crucial match on Friday, March 8.

Following a shaky start with three losses in the first half of the 2025 WPL, the Giants appeared to be repeating past underperformance. However, strong wins against Royal Challengers Bengaluru and UP Warriorz have propelled them to second place in the standings after six games, giving them a genuine opportunity to reach the playoffs for the first time.

The Giants’ batting lineup has become more stable after some adjustments in the initial matches. The return to form of Harleen Deol and Ash Gardner, combined with Beth Mooney’s impressive 96* against UP Warriorz, has significantly boosted their batting strength. This is especially positive for the Giants, who have previously struggled with solid opening partnerships.

In bowling, the less experienced duo of Kashvee Gautam and Tanuja Kanwer are leading the pace and spin attacks, respectively. Despite an expensive start in the first match, Gautam has impressed with her swing bowling in the powerplay and smart variations later in the innings. She currently has the best economy rate (5.30) and is the second-highest wicket-taker (9 wickets at 11.77 average) in the season. The Giants’ bowling unit, with four bowlers taking at least seven wickets each, including Gardner and Dottin, is their key strength, and they will rely on it to disrupt the opposition’s strong opening partnership.

Similar to the past two seasons, the Delhi Capitals have secured their playoff spot early and are now focused on guaranteeing a direct entry to the final. After an inconsistent first half of the season, DC have hit their stride, demonstrated by dominant wins against MI and RCB in Bengaluru.

Despite this being their last league match, and the temptation to rest key players, the Capitals, having had almost a week’s rest, are expected to field their strongest team. If they reach the WPL final for the third consecutive time, their challenge will be to maintain their peak performance level during the week-long break before the final on March 15.

Team News