In a nail-biting Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 Match 17 thriller at Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara, on January 27, Gujarat Giants edged Delhi Capitals by 3 runs, defending 175 courtesy of Sophie Devine’s repeat final-over masterclass.
The White Ferns all-rounder, Player of the Match, conceded just 5 runs off 9 needed while snaring Sneh Rana (29 off 15) and Niki Prasad (47 off 24), mirroring her January 11 heroics at DY Patil Stadium, where she defended 7 off the last over for a 4-run win.
This marked the first time any team beat the Delhi Capitals twice in WPL league stages, propelling the Giants to 2nd with 8 points from 7 games (4 wins, 3 losses). At the post-match presser, bowling coach Pravin Tambe dissected the strategy, praising Devine’s clutch gene and the rise of young Indian talent.
Tambe lit up when unpacking skipper Ashleigh Gardner’s bold call to hand Devine (4/37) the death over despite her costly 17th (23 runs). “In that situation, we had an experienced player, Sophie Devine. She had bowled the last over against DC (in their previous clash this season in Navi Mumbai). We had the option that no matter what happened in the last over, we knew as a coaching management that her over (17th over of the run chase) was not good. But in the crunch situation, she was the best option with us. So we backed her.”
Giants posted 174/9 after Jemimah Rodrigues opted to bowl, anchored by Beth Mooney’s maiden WPL 2026 fifty (58 off 46, 7 fours) and cameos from Anushka Sharma (39 off 25) and Tanuja Kanwer (21 off 11, SR 190.91). N Sree Charani’s maiden 4-wicket haul headlined Capitals’ fightback. In the chase, Rajeshwari Gayakwad’s 3/20 (Shafali Verma, Laura Wolvaardt, Chinelle Henry) strangled momentum, but Prasad’s gritty 47 off 24 (SR 195.83) and her 70-run stand with Rana nearly pulled off a heist, until Devine struck.
Beyond the pitch, Tambe hailed Devine’s intangibles, crediting her auction purchase at 2 Cr for her leadership. Now Purple Cap holder with 15 wickets (avg 14.26, economy 8.28, including 4/37), she’s also the Giants’ top scorer (212 runs, SR 158.20, avg 35.33, 2 fifties). “That’s why we backed her in the auction. She brings a lot of experience to the team. She has a work ethic. When she bowls in nets, she creates a match situation. Our youngsters are happy; the likes of Happy Kumari and Kashvee Gautam are learning a lot from her.”
Tambe reserved special pride for India’s next gen, spotlighting Prasad’s composure (47 off 24 balls) and Anushka’s clarity at No. 3 (128 runs, SR 137.63, avg 25.60; 4th for Giants). On the 22-year-old’s role: “We can credit this to the scouts; Anushka Sharma excelled well there. Her shot selection, the way she played, we thought that if we gave her a role, she would do very well. From the first game, we gave her that freedom to play her shots, and she did exactly that.”
He gushed over Capitals’ Nandni Sharma (2nd in Purple Cap race, 14 wickets, avg 15, econ 8.07, including a 5-haul with hat-trick): “Seeing such young players, I feel very proud. Because India’s future is looking bright.”
Giants’ reverse fixture win keeps playoffs in sight, but Capitals now lean on results elsewhere after two stinging losses to Gardner’s side.
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