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THE TIMES OF INDIA | Feb 01, 2026, 18:17:31 IST
DC vs UPW, WPL Live Score: Sunday’s final league fixture of the Women’s Premier League 2026 brings together two sides heading in very different emotional directions, but united by the pressure of consequence. UP Warriorz, led by Meg Lanning, face Delhi Capitals at the BCA Stadium in Kotambi with their tournament hanging by a thread.
For UP Warriorz, the mathematics borders on the improbable. Even a victory may not be enough to lift them off the bottom of the table. Their only path to the Eliminator demands a dramatic net run rate surge, either by posting a massive total and winning by over 150 runs or pulling off an unrealistically rapid chase. Despite that, Lanning’s side will take the field knowing that their opponents have everything to lose.
Delhi Capitals arrive with a far clearer equation. A win secures a spot in the Eliminator against Gujarat Giants. A defeat ends their campaign. Under Jemimah Rodrigues, Capitals have experienced a season of ups and downs, blending moments of promise with costly lapses. Yet they remain in control of their fate, something UP Warriorz cannot claim.
There is also an added layer of intrigue. Lanning, who led Delhi to direct finals in each of the previous three seasons, now stands in their way. Both camps are well aware of the tactical insights the former captain carries, and Capitals will be eager to outmanoeuvre their old leader.
Conditions at Kotambi have offered balanced contests, with no clear advantage to batting or bowling first and little influence from the toss. Team selections are expected to remain largely unchanged, with Delhi backing stability and UP Warriorz possibly rotating their bench players after dropping Kiran Navgire earlier in the tournament.
With knockout qualification, pride, and rival interests all intertwined, this final league game promises tension until the last ball.
Delhi Capitals Women vs Up Warriorz Women Live: The strange net run-rate miracle UP Warriorz need
Mathematically, UP Warriorz are still alive. Realistically, it would take something extraordinary. To qualify, they need a win and a net run-rate swing of historic proportions.
That means winning by more than 150 runs if batting first, or chasing a target in roughly three overs. It is the kind of scenario that exists more on paper than in belief. Yet cricket has a way of holding on to impossibilities until the final ball is bowled.
For UP Warriorz, the task is less about the calculator and more about intent. If this is to be their final match of the season, they will want to leave behind a performance that reflects their potential, not their position on the table.
DC vs UPW Live Score: Jemimah Rodrigues and the weight of leadership
This season has tested Jemimah Rodrigues in new ways. Leading Delhi Capitals through a turbulent campaign has demanded calm, clarity, and belief, especially after close defeats.
Rodrigues’ message has remained consistent. The Capitals are still in the tournament, and they will keep fighting. Now, that mindset faces its ultimate examination.
Against UP Warriorz, Rodrigues will need to balance aggression with composure. The match will demand leadership in small moments, smart bowling changes, and calm decision-making under pressure. It is the kind of game that can define a captain’s growth.
Delhi Capitals Women vs Up Warriorz Women Live: When former captains become the opposition
Few players know Delhi Capitals better than Meg Lanning. She led them to three straight direct finals and helped shape their identity. On Sunday, she stands on the opposite side.
That familiarity cuts both ways. Lanning understands Delhi’s strengths, but the Capitals also know her methods. The tactical battle will be subtle, unfolding through field placements, bowling plans, and match-ups.
This is not just a contest between teams. It is a quiet duel of preparation, memory, and adaptation. Delhi will hope that knowing their former skipper does not become a disadvantage.
DC W vs UPW W, WPL Live Score: Kotambi conditions offer no hiding place
The BCA Stadium in Kotambi has produced balanced cricket. Scores have been middling, and neither batters nor bowlers have dominated consistently. The toss has offered no clear advantage.
That means Sunday’s contest will likely be decided by execution rather than conditions. Shot selection, bowling discipline, and fielding intensity will matter more than ever.
In a match where pressure will be heavy on one side and hope faint on the other, the venue promises a fair examination. There will be no excuses, only outcomes.
DC vs UPW Live Score: More than two teams watching this game
While Delhi Capitals and UP Warriorz take centre stage, Mumbai Indians will be watching closely. Despite losing twice to UP Warriorz this season, they could benefit if Delhi stumble.
That adds another layer to an already tense contest. Every boundary, every wicket, and every over could ripple beyond the two teams involved.
This is what final league games are about. Unlikely alliances, nervous calculations, and a sense that the tournament’s direction can shift in a single evening. Sunday’s match may not feature the top teams, but it carries the weight of a knockout long before the playoffs begin.
DC vs UPW, WPL Live Score: Meg Lanning’s return to familiar territory comes at a difficult moment in her second season with UP Warriorz. After three seasons of success as Delhi Capitals captain, Lanning now finds herself leading a side staring at the bottom of the Women’s Premier League table for the second year in a row. Sunday’s clash against Delhi Capitals could either confirm that fate or keep a faint, almost unrealistic hope alive.
UP Warriorz need far more than just a win. To sneak into the Eliminator, they would require a massive swing in net run rate, something in the range of a 156-plus margin if batting first, or an extraordinary chase completed in roughly three overs. While the odds are stacked heavily against them, the motivation to spoil Delhi’s plans remains strong.
For Delhi Capitals, this match carries far more immediate consequences. For the first time in WPL history, they are not assured of a direct place in the final. Under new captain Jemimah Rodrigues, Capitals enter their final league game knowing the equation is simple. Win and face Gujarat Giants in the Eliminator. Lose and the season ends abruptly.
The campaign for Delhi has been uneven, marked by flashes of brilliance, a few standout individual performances, and moments where control slipped away. With everything on the line, Capitals will be desperate to overcome a former leader who knows the team’s strengths and weaknesses better than most.
With Mumbai Indians also keeping a close eye on the outcome, Sunday’s contest at Kotambi is set to carry implications far beyond just two teams on the field.
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