Sophie Devine delivered a composed final over under immense pressure, once again proving her reliability as one of the top finishers with the ball in women’s cricket. She successfully defended eight runs,
even with fewer fielders positioned deep due to Ashleigh Gardner’s earlier miscalculations regarding over-rate.
Her superb effort with the ball helped Gujarat Giants (GG) eke out a narrow three-run victory over Delhi Capitals (DC) in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 at BCA Stadium in Vadodara on Tuesday.
The 36-year-old New Zealander had previously defended six runs in the reverse fixture earlier this season, and she once again stood firm between DC and victory by perfectly mixing pace, length, and awareness.
She started the over smartly, conceding just a single by cramping Niki Prasad for room with a full ball angled into the pads. Anticipating the batters’ attempts to create space, Devine remained alert to their movements. Although she bowled a wide when trying to track Sneh Rana’s shuffle across the crease, this minor slip did not unsettle her.
Devine responded with a pinpoint yorker outside off, completely beating Rana and increasing the pressure. The very next ball resulted in a crucial breakthrough as Rana attempted to attack a back-of-a-length delivery, only to hit it flat to deep mid-wicket, where Georgia Wareham took a safe catch.
With five runs needed off two balls, Devine stayed calm. She allowed only a single to Minnu Mani with a ball pushed across the left-hander, forcing the strike back. On the final delivery, Devine read Niki Prasad backing away and cleverly followed her with a short-of-a-length ball. Prasad couldn’t generate enough power, and Ashleigh Gardner’s catch at long-on sealed a thrilling win, igniting wild celebrations for Gujarat Giants.
“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 (Ashleigh Gardner) to bowl the penultimate over as an off-spinner into the shorter side,” Sophie Devine said at the end of the match.
Other Performers As GG Pipped DC
N. Shree Charani achieved her career-best WPL figures of 4 for 31, but Beth Mooney’s measured 58 off 46 balls and Anushka Sharma’s 39 off 25 deliveries helped Gujarat Giants reach a competitive 174/9.
Niki Prasad nearly secured victory for her team, scoring 47 off 24 balls before falling on the last delivery. Her 70-run partnership with Sneh Rana almost surprised Gujarat Giants. However, Devine held firm as Gujarat Giants became the first team in WPL history to complete a double over Delhi Capitals.
(With inputs from Agencies)
