Can Lanning & Co. ruin DC's hopes?

Meg Lanning has enjoyed more success as captain than what has come her way over the last three weeks. If UP Warriorz lose on Sunday, they will finish at the bottom of the Women's Premier League table for the second consecutive season. A win might still leave them there.

However, there remains an extremely faint possibility of qualification for the Eliminator, requiring an enormous net run rate swing. In that slim hope, they will take the field against Delhi Capitals—the same team Lanning led to the final in each of the previous three seasons.

For the first time under a new leader, Capitals will not secure a direct spot in the final. Instead, they face a must-win final league game to avoid elimination. Their campaign has been rocky, featuring moments of brilliance, a new discovery, and some inconsistent performances.

The equation for Jemimah Rodrigues' side is straightforward: win and secure an Eliminator berth against Gujarat Giants; lose and head home. The practical stakes mean one team is playing with everything to lose. The only other side with a keen interest in this match is Mumbai Indians, who would likely advance if Capitals lose.

Lanning is intimately familiar with the Capitals' think-tank, and the reverse is also true. Capitals will hope to outsmart their former skipper.

When: Sunday, February 1, 2026
Where: BCA Stadium, Kotambi
What to expect: Middling scores that have provided a balanced contest between bat and ball. The toss is not expected to be decisive.

UP Warriorz:
The team ran out of patience with Kiran Navgire after a string of poor scores and dropped her. While Meg Lanning and Deepti Sharma forged a good opening partnership, batting woes have persisted. They may offer game time to bench players.

Probable XI: Meg Lanning, Deepti Sharma, Harleen Deol, Deandra Dottin, Chloe Tryon, Shweta Sehrawat, Simran Shaikh, Sophie Ecclestone, S Asha, Shikha Pandey, Kranti Gaud

Delhi Capitals:
Unlikely to tinker with the side despite a close loss to Gujarat Giants.

Probable XI: Shafali Verma, Lizelle Lee, Laura Wolvaardt, Jemimah Rodrigues, Marizanne Kapp, Nikki Prasad, Chenille Henry, Sneh Rana, Minnu Mani, Shree Charani, Nandni Sharma

Quotes:

"We're still in the tournament, and we're going to keep fighting."
— Jemimah Rodrigues, DC captain

"In T20 cricket, when batters get in, you need to maximise that. We've probably underdone that—myself included. I got to 40, which is a good start, but you need to keep going. That's been a theme across the whole tournament."
— Meg Lanning, UPW captain