In a repeat of their earlier encounter, Sophie Devine once again proved to be the nemesis of the Delhi Capitals. Defending nine runs in the final over, Devine maintained her composure to secure a three-run victory for the Gujarat Giants at the Kotambi Stadium.
After the early loss of Devine herself, the Giants relied on the experience of captain Beth Mooney and the youthful exuberance of Anushka Sharma.
Mooney’s anchor: The Australian wicketkeeper-batter produced her most definitive knock of the season, scoring a composed 58 off 46 balls. She paced her innings perfectly, absorbing pressure before attacking Marizanne Kapp for three boundaries in the 11th over.
Anushka’s spark: Coming in at No. 3, Anushka Sharma wrested momentum back with a brisk 39, showing great authority with her drives and flicks during a 54-run partnership with Mooney.
Late flourish: A vital 11-ball 21 from Tanuja Kanwar in the death overs pushed GG to a competitive total of 174.
Delhi Capitals' chase appeared dead and buried when they slumped to 100 for 6, needing 75 runs from just 33 deliveries. Their top order, including Lizelle Lee, Shafali Verma, and Jemimah Rodrigues, had all failed to fire against a disciplined GG middle-over squeeze.
Twenty-year-old Niki Prasad (47 off 24 balls) and Sneh Rana launched a fearless assault, putting on a 70-run stand in just 31 balls. Prasad, one of DC's pre-auction retentions, peppered the boundary with nine fours, at one point hitting Devine for three consecutive boundaries to bring the target within reach.
With 9 runs required off the final 6 balls, the momentum was firmly with DC. However, Devine utilized her slower deliveries and experience to stifle the charge:
Ball 4: Devine had Sneh Rana caught in the deep.
Ball 6: With 4 needed for a win, Niki Prasad holed out to long-on.
I think today I didn't panic. I knew I just had to capitalize on those chances in the third set and I did that
Sophie Devine
