TATA WPL 2026: DC Clinch First Win, Beat UPW by Seven Wickets

By: WE Staff | Thursday, 15 January 2026

• Delhi Capitals sealed their first win in a last-ball thriller
• Lizelle Lee struck her second straight WPL fifty
• Shafali Verma starred with both bat and ball, receiving POTM

Delhi Capitals finally broke their winless run in TATA Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026 with a tense seven-wicket victory over UP Warriorz, chasing down 155 off the very last ball in a nervy finish. After suffering heartbreak in a similar equation just days earlier, DC held their nerve this time as Laura Wolvaardt drilled the winning boundary to seal their first points of the season and hand UPW a third straight defeat.

The chase was set up brilliantly by Lizelle Lee and Shafali Verma, an aggressive 94-run opening stand put DC firmly in control early. Lee continued her red-hot form with a fluent half-century, her second in succession, striking the ball cleanly and dominating the powerplay. Shafali provided brisk support before falling to a sharp catch, while Jemimah Rodrigues added a quick cameo to keep the required rate in check.

Earlier, UP Warriorz posted 154 for 8 after promising starts, but another middle-order collapse proved costly. Former DC skipper Meg Lanning anchored the innings with her maiden fifty of the season, becoming only the third player to cross 1,000 WPL runs. She shared a crucial stand with Harleen Deol that positioned UPW strongly at 130 for 2 after 15 overs. Yet, a dramatic slump followed as wickets fell in clusters, with DC bowlers Shafali Verma and Marizanne Kapp striking at key moments to derail the finish.

In the end, UPW’s repeated struggles in the death overs outweighed their strong starts, while DC’s top-order firepower ensured they stayed alive in the tournament despite a nail-biting finish.