In a WPL match against the Gujarat Giants (GG), Marizanne Kapp and Shafali Verma stood out as the star performers for the Delhi Capitals (DC). The Capitals had suffered a loss in their previous match against the Mumbai Indians (MI) and were looking to bounce back, while the Giants had won their last game against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
The Giants won the toss and elected to bat first, but their decision backfired as Kapp picked up an early wicket in the form of Sabbhineni Meghana. Kapp then went on to dismiss Laura Wolvaardt and Ashleigh Gardner in her second over, leaving GG reeling at nine for three. The rest of the Giants’ batting lineup crumbled under Kapp’s pressure, with Dayalan Hemalatha, Harleen Deol and Sushma Verma all failing to make an impact. Kapp completed her five-wicket haul with the dismissal of Sushma, leaving the Giants struggling at just 33 runs for six wickets.
Georgia Wareham and Kim Garth tried to resurrect the innings with a 33-run partnership, but the Giants could only manage to post 105 runs on the board. Garth was the top scorer with 32 runs and remained unbeaten, but it was far from enough to challenge the Capitals’ strong batting lineup.
When the Capitals came out to bat, it was Verma’s show all the way. She took a liking to the Giants’ bowlers and started hitting them all around the stadium. Verma’s innings was a class apart as she smashed the second-fastest fifty of the season in just 19 balls, leaving her captain, Meg Lanning, playing second fiddle. The Capitals scored the highest powerplay score of the season with 87 runs off just six overs, and Verma continued to play her shots.
The Capitals’ victory was never in doubt, as they reached the target of 106 runs in just 7.1 overs without losing a wicket. Lanning hit the final boundary to seal the win, but it was Verma’s incredible knock that stole the show. With Kapp’s fifer and Verma’s unbeaten 76, the Capitals returned to winning ways in style.
Here’s how Twitter reacted:
What a spell by Marizanne Kapp – 5/15 in 4 overs against Gujarat Giants. She destroyed the Gujarat unit! pic.twitter.com/IgRV2JRNAq
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) March 11, 2023
Unbelievable numbers from Kappie ๐คฏ#YehHaiNayiDilli #CapitalsUniverse #GGvDC #TATAWPL pic.twitter.com/cxwIu14z3m
— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) March 11, 2023
FIFTY for @TheShafaliVerma, off only 19 balls in a chase of 106.
After her first at #WPL, she had let on that not scoring a 50 for a while was on her mind… 'main har match main 50 maarne wali bandi hoon' she said in PC
Big confidence, big ability, big fan ๐ฅ— Zenia D'cunha (@ZENIADCUNHA) March 11, 2023
Marizanne Kapp breathing ๐ฅ 5-fer. There are many five-wicket hauls in T20s but dismissing the top-5 batters is something else. #TataWPL @JioCinema
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) March 11, 2023
In case you had stepped away for dinner…
Here's a ๐น of @kappie777's quick-fire wickets in the powerplay ๐ฅ#CheerTheW #TATAWPL pic.twitter.com/R8YtPJ4HsP
— JioCinema (@JioCinema) March 11, 2023
The boundaries are short, sure, but several of these sixes would clear ropes with bigger dimensions.
Havenโt watched Shafali Verma bat like this in international cricket.
In my book, thatโs the best she has ever batted in top-flight cricket.
— Annesha Ghosh (@ghosh_annesha) March 11, 2023
๐ฅ TOO HOT TO HANDLE! @kappie777 registered the best bowling figures in WPL with a fantastic spell.
๐ Gujarat lineup is crumbling like a house of cards, thanks to her!
๐ท BCCI โข #WPL #TATAWPL #WPL2023 #TeamIndia #BharatArmy pic.twitter.com/UcfOq4BLKw
— The Bharat Army (@thebharatarmy) March 11, 2023
Shafali Verma, the dominance.
76* runs from just 28 balls while chasing 106 runs, Delhi finished the game in 7.1 overs, She is changing Women's cricket in India. pic.twitter.com/1YhxxpSRdd
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) March 11, 2023
๐ผ๐ก๐๐ญ๐ ๐ฅ๐ก๐๐ฎ "๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ฉ๐ค๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐๐ก๐" ๐๐ฎ ๐๐๐ ๐ต
What a knock, Shafali ๐#YehHaiNayiDilli #CapitalsUniverse #TATAWPL #GGvDC pic.twitter.com/6fk8lJVGd8
— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) March 11, 2023
Delhi Capitals makes a mockery of the Gujarat Giants total.#GGvDC Scorecard: https://t.co/g95M75YdT0 #WPL2023 #WPL #cricket #CricketTwitter #WomenCricket pic.twitter.com/yVTIWBOCEy
— WomenCricket.com (@WomenCricketHQ) March 11, 2023