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 Pandeywho remained unbeaten on 23 off 13 balls, and a steady 10 from Sophie EcclestoneUPW 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 Rodrogue 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:

This article was first published at WomenCricket.coma Read company.