Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], March 6 : With just one league stage match remaining in their Women's Premier League (WPL) 2025 campaign, Delhi Capitals, who have already qualified for the playoffs, will go all out to gain an advantage for direct qualification to the final when they take on Gujarat Giants on Friday at Ekana Cricket Stadium on Friday.
If DC finishes at the top of the table in the league stage, they will earn a direct qualification to the final.
Speaking on the eve of the match, Head Coach Jonathan Batty said, "It is one of the great things about this five-team tournament that the sides are really well-balanced. We got that playoff qualification which was the first tick in the box. But the job is not done yet. We are keeping our focus on our game against Gujarat Giants on Friday night which sort of leaves our fate in our own hands."
Delhi Capitals, who are currently at the top of the points table, with five wins, two losses and 10 points, played two matches on consecutive nights last week against Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru before heading into a short break.
Reflecting on the same, the Head Coach said, "We were very front-loaded with our games, especially during the Bengaluru leg. Players' workload is something that we have to take care of and focus on not getting injured. It is really nice to have a few days rest and recovery to recharge, re-energise and then have a couple of really heavy training sessions leading into our last group game on Friday night."
The Englishman had a word of praise for the youngster N Sree Charani who picked up two wickets against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in her debut outing. "We had our eyes on her since last season when our scouts flagged her to us. She has been hugely impressive from when we arrived in Pune for the pre-season camp, and it's good to see the kind of performance she put up on her debut. She's always got a smile on her face."
Meanwhile, Delhi Capitals' opponents for their final league match, Gujarat Giants, are coming off a comprehensive win over the home side, UP Warriors. They are currently in second place on the points table.
Speaking about the match-up Batty said, "Gujarat Giants are incredibly strong. They have got a wonderful batting line-up and restricting their batters is going to be the key to the game."