Losing sophie devine

Losing Sophie Devine: Gujarat Giants captain Ashleigh Gardner admitted her side paid a heavy price for a sluggish start with the ball as Delhi Capitals cruised to a seven-wicket victory, but noted the positives from their campaign and expressed pride, stating that this is the ‘most balanced side’ that they’ve had, pointing to the emergence of young Indian talent such as Anushka Sharma, alongside experienced campaigners like Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Devine.

Despite posting a competitive 168/7, rescued by a composed Beth Mooney and a vital middle-overs partnership with Georgia Wareham, Gujarat were quickly put on the back foot by Delhi’s aggressive intent in the powerplay. Lizelle Lee and Shafali Verma capitalised on anything loose, racing away to 75 runs inside the first six overs and effectively setting the tone for the chase.

“We felt like that was enough at halfway if we bowled well,” Gardner said after the match. “But when you don’t start the powerplay, either taking wickets or restricting runs, it brings that team in, and obviously they took the powerplay on. That’s their ammo, and they did that brilliantly today.”