All-round Shafali Verma stars as stuttering DC bag first points

In a bottom-of-the-table clash, Delhi Capitals defeated UP Warriorz off the final ball to secure their first win of WPL 2026. Chasing 155, DC made a comfortable pursuit tense, needing 68 off the last 10 overs with all wickets intact, eventually sealing victory on the last delivery. Shafali Verma’s all-round display (36 off 32 balls and 2 for 16) and Lizelle Lee’s 67 were pivotal.

Requiring six off the final over, Marizanne Kapp hit a boundary off the second ball, leaving two needed from four. After two dots and a single, Laura Wolvaardt struck a boundary off the last ball to clinch the win. UP Warriorz remain winless after three matches.

Batting first after being put in by Jemimah Rodrigues, UP Warriorz lost Kiran Navgire early, caught at mid-off. Australians Meg Lanning and Phoebe Litchfield started aggressively, with Litchfield particularly attacking before being stumped off Sneh Rana shortly after the PowerPlay, which ended at 47 for 1.

Lanning then partnered with Harleen Deol, accelerating through sweeps, pulls, and drives. Boundaries flowed regularly from the 7th to 12th overs, with Lanning reaching a 32-ball fifty. UPW surged past 100 and were 130/2 after 15 overs.

The innings unraveled dramatically thereafter. Lanning holed out to deep mid-wicket off Nandni Sharma. After only 11 runs came in the 16th and 17th overs, the set Harleen Deol was surprisingly retired out on 47. New batter Chloe Tryon fell for 1, and Marizanne Kapp trapped Sophie Ecclestone lbw. Shafali Verma then removed Shweta Sehrawat and Deepti Sharma as UPW collapsed, managing only 24 runs in the last five overs while losing five wickets to finish 154/8.

In reply, DC openers Lizelle Lee and Shafali Verma started positively, not allowing the bowlers to settle. Lee smashed 16 runs in the final over of the PowerPlay, taking DC to 46/0. The pair continued aggressively, with Lee slog-sweeping Sophie Ecclestone for six and Verma adding two boundaries in an 18-run over.

Lee brought up her fifty with a six off Chloe Tryon, keeping DC close to nine runs per over at the innings’ midpoint. The 94-run opening stand ended when Verma fell to Asha Sobhana in the 12th over. Deepti Sharma removed Lee in the 15th over after DC had scored only 21 runs between overs 11-14.

Jemimah Rodrigues counterattacked, using sweeps and reverse-sweeps against Deepti in a 12-run 17th over. UPW pulled things back slightly, conceding just nine runs in the next two overs and taking Rodrigues’ wicket, ending a 34-run partnership. Despite making the chase nervy, DC held their nerve to win off the final ball.

Brief Scores:
UP Warriorz 154/8 in 20 overs (Meg Lanning 54, Harleen Deol 47; Shafali Verma 2-16, Marizanne Kapp 2-24) lost to Delhi Capitals 158/3 in 20 overs (Lizelle Lee 67, Shafali Verma 36; Deepti Sharma 2-26, Asha Sobhana 1-20) by seven wickets.