🏏WPL 2026: Match 17: DC W vs GG W at Vadodara on 27/01/26🏏 - Page 10

Phew. What a game. A crazy, crazy contest and even that does not begin to explain it. For most of the chase, it swayed the Giants' way. But then, there was a twist. And what a twist it almost was. Niki Prasad, coming in when all hope was seemingly lost, took matters into her own hands and nearly crafted a chase that would have been told to generations of DC fans. But akin to Navi Mumbai earlier in the season, DC could not hit the final boundary the game needed and demanded, and they will leave Vadodara tonight with a feeling of what almost was.

Anushka Sharma: To be honest, I’m out of words. It was another nail-biting finish against DC. Full credit to Sophie and the catches we took - they were brilliant. Those moments made a huge difference. When they were four or five wickets down, I genuinely felt we had the match in our hands. But the way Niki batted, she played exceptionally well and almost took the game away from us. That said, we managed to hold on, and in the end, the win is what matters. The best is still yet to come. The wicket was good to bat on, so yes I enjoyed my time out there. But honestly, I feel I could have done better. There’s always room for improvement. Nothing specific, really. I’ll just stick to the same intent, back my strengths, and play according to the situation. Let’s see how it goes. There was a bit of pain at the time (on her wrist), but it’s all fine now.

Jemimah Rodrigues, DC captain: Firstly, I have to credit the way Sneh Rana and Niki played - it was outstanding. That partnership was special. They kept fighting till the very end, brought us so close, and gave us real hope. These things happen in cricket, but it would have been nice to cross the line. As long as our batters were out there, we knew there was still hope. We kept believing, and more importantly, they kept believing. That’s what brought us so close. Outstanding work from both of them, especially Niki. She’s young, but the way she played, combined with Rana’s experience, was really impressive. They were the ones who kept us going and kept that belief alive. I don’t know what else to say - they were outstanding. Even though we didn’t win today, the way they played was exceptional. I think we did a lot of things well with the ball, but in the last few overs we probably conceded 15-20 runs extra. With the bat, we needed stronger partnerships from the top order, including myself. That’s where it didn’t quite click. The fight shown at the end was really encouraging. Yes, that game is going to be very important. We have a short break before it, so it’s about regrouping as a team. We’ve got one more game left, we’re still in the tournament, and we’re going to keep fighting.

Here is Sampath with a stat: Sophie Devine (401) is only the second player to take 400-plus wickets in women's T20s, after Amelia Kerr (414). Sneh Rana was Devine's 400th wicket in T20s.

Anjan: This is what the WPL is all about. The Nikis and Anushkas believing in themselves and leading the fight for their teams!

Naveen Alaparth: "GG is safe as long as they are in Devine Hands"

Ashleigh Gardner, Gujarat Giants captain: (How she is feeling) It is a bit of a rollercoaster. We are in the entertainment industry at the end of the day and we entertained. Did our job with that but my heart rate was going through the roof in that last over (smiles).
(On the score) Wickets have gotten progressively better. Last night, 200 almost chased down and what we scored, almost chased down again. 170-180 was par. We bowled well for 17 overs and then let them back in at the end.

(On their plans) For us bowlers, we need to keep it simple. When you overcomplicate it, it does not work. Our two left arm spinners did that really well today. You need to stay consistent. Had a couple of close matches, been on the winning side and losing side. We have one more game, we need to win that to be confident of being in the playoffs. Being able to celebrate tonight is fantastic but we need to switch our focus to Mumbai, who we don't have a great record against. Hopefully, we can change that and head into the finals with confidence.

Sophie Devine | Player of the Match: To be honest, I felt like I probably owed one to Ash. I got absolutely pumped in one of my overs and put a bit of pressure back on us when we probably had the game under control. I thought it was incredibly brave of Ash to bowl the penultimate over as an off-spinner into the shorter side. But it was pretty similar to our last game against them, just staying really calm and keeping the plans as simple as possible. I think one of the most important things as an overseas player is leaving your ego at the door and being okay with asking for help. That’s the really cool thing about playing in these conditions, coming from New Zealand, Australia or England, they’re pretty foreign to us. So it’s about asking the local players how they go about it because they’ve got far more experience here. Having those conversations and then making small tweaks to adapt your own game has been really key. At the start of the tournament, you spend a lot of time just getting volume in and that’s really important for me. Everyone’s different, though. As the tournament goes on, I actually train less and less. I think that’s important both physically and mentally, especially towards the back end of a competition. For me, it’s about managing the mind and body so that when game day comes, I’m 100 percent ready, that’s what really matters. It’s been awesome sharing the dressing room with this group. I thought the way Moons (Mooney) batted today was outstanding, she gave us the perfect platform. Anushka was incredible again with the bat, the talent she has is special. And Rajeshwari Gayakwad with the ball, honestly, she probably deserved Player of the Day alongside Moons. But that’s what’s made it really special, it’s been a real team effort. Sharing experiences, learning from each other, it’s been a very happy change room tonight.

And...breathe. Another one of those games in the WPL, and it ended with the Giants becoming the first side ever to do the double over the Capitals in a WPL season. The Thursday match will pit will pit the table-toppers against the side currently languishing at the bottom but still harbouring hopes of qualification. RCB-W vs UPW-W, 29th Jan.

Congratulations to Sophie Devine for winning POTM. DC’s heartbreak is palpable and Devine crushed their dreams, yet again. This WPL season has been scripting histories! Also congratulations on her 4 wicket haul!

Congratulations to GG W for winning a close match.

Congratulations to Sophie Devine for winning the Player of the Match.

It was so close. I am suer heartbreaking for DC W. I must say, they brought it on themselves.

Cheers..

Details for today's match--

India vs New Zealand, 4th T20I, New Zealand tour of India, 2026 - Commentary

Series: New Zealand tour of India, 2026

Venue: ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam

Date & Time: Today, 7:00 PM LOCAL