A sublime performance from Harleen Deol helped Gujarat Giants further cement their position in the top three of the Women’s Premier League points table. They defeated table-toppers Delhi Capitals by five wickets with three balls to spare, officially knocking UP Warriorz out of top-three contention.
Beth Mooney picked up where she left off against UPW, but Dayalan Hemlatha’s struggles led to an early wicket. Nevertheless, Mooney and Deol built another solid partnership, rotating the strike consistently and finding boundaries at key moments.
However, an impressive catch by Annabel Sutherland ended Mooney’s innings at 44 off 35 balls. Deol, though, fought on despite wickets falling at the other end. Cameos from Deandra Dottin and Ash Gardner, both striking at over 150, helped GG inch closer to the target.
Under mounting pressure, Deol, alongside Kashvee Gautam, ensured GG needed only seven off the last over. The duo then sealed the chase with three balls to spare. Harleen finished unbeaten on 70 off 49 balls, smashing nine fours and a six.
The surface looked good for batting, and with dew expected in the second innings—though it barely arrived—the conditions seemed to favor the chase.
It was yet another dominant partnership from Meg Lanning and Shafali Verma, their 12th fifty-plus stand—the most by any duo in WPL, with the second-best at just five. This also marked the first time GG failed to take a wicket inside the powerplay this season. Despite a cautious start, the duo quickly shifted gears, dispatching the bowlers to all parts of the ground.
Their 83-run partnership was finally broken when Meghna Singh removed Verma, who miscued a slower ball to midwicket after scoring 40 off 27 balls, including three sixes and four fours. Lanning, however, continued her assault, racing to 92 off 57 balls with 15 fours and a six. While she held firm at one end, wickets tumbled regularly at the other, with little contribution from the rest of the batting lineup. DC posted 177/5 in their 20 overs.
GG, despite the win, were poor in the field, with multiple misfields, dropped chances, and a missed stumping adding to their woes.
Brief Score: Gujarat Giants 178-5 (19.3 overs) (Harleen Deol 70*, Beth Mooney 44; Shikha Pandey 2-31) beat Delhi Capitals 177-5 (20 overs) (Meg Lanning 92; Meghna Singh 3-35) by 5 wickets.