'On the back foot pretty quickly' - Gardner's Giants look to 2027 after bowing out of WPL playoffs

Jarred Cross Published February 4, 2026 at 2.25pm (AWST)

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Delhi Capitals progress to their fourth successive WPL final, still chasing their first title, after easing to Ash Gardner's Gujarat Giant's first innings posting in last night's Eliminator. (Image: BCCI)

Ash Gardner admits her side "didn't play our best cricket" but will take positives away from their Women's Premier League season for a another crack at silverware next year after going down in Wednesday morning's eliminator.

The Muruwari allrounder, who's led the Giants to consecutive playoffs since taking on captaincy, couldn't seal a maiden place for the franchise in the deciding game of the season.

The Gujarat Giants' 168 runs posted didn't prove enough on the night, with Delhi Capitals progressing to their fourth final in as many campaigns after their successful chase completed with 26 balls to spare.

Hopes their total was defendable were dealt a blow when unable to firm their position early on in the field, Gardner conceded post-match.

"When you don't put the pressure on early with the ball and in the power play, it kind of just brings the other team (into the contest)," she said.

"We gave them too many free hits early. We obviously know the way that they play. They want to attack the bowler and put you under pressure, and they obviously did that really well tonight.

"We weren't able to adapt quick enough, and we were put on the back foot pretty quickly."

After being sent in, Gujarat couldn't continue their season-long trend - having won five from five games when batting first.

*Gardner finished the regular season fifth in the competition runs tally after two half-centuries and four scores above 45, but didn't produce her usual output with ball in hand. (Image: BCCI)*

A fifty run partnership between Australian teammates Beth Mooney (62) and Georgia Wareham (35) made some amends for a disappointing start to the innings, also contributing to the Giants efforts to add over 100 runs to their 64 put together after 10 overs at the crease.

Gardner was gone first ball earlier on.

For the Capitals, Chinelle Henry (4/35) was most damaging with the ball. Lizelle Lee (43)

Shafali Verma (31) got their side off to a strong start at the top of the order, with another 73 added between Laura Wolvaardt and skipper Jemimah Rodrigues all but wrapping up the contest inside 16 overs with seven wickets in hand.

Back-to-back wickets for Wareham in the eighth over gave the Giants a glimpse, "but we just weren't able to do that for long periods of time, which is obviously really disappointing," Gardner said.

Giants coach Michael Klinger had a similar assessment of the contest.

His side "probably didn't bowl as well as them", proving the difference, he suggested.

A score of 180-190 might have also shifted the resulted in their favour, Klinger added.

"We just didn't play at our best," he said.

"We've got plenty of time...10 months now, to watch a bit more cricket and from both local players and overseas players, and just tinker a little bit... and come back bigger and stronger next year.

"We're aiming for bigger things, and it didn't happen this year, but we'll keep giving ourselves a chance."

Gardner shared the positive outlook.

"We had a pretty brutal start to the WPL. We didn't win many games, so to go back to back making finals two years in a row there's certainly plenty of positives to take out of it, but plenty of learnings as well.

The Giants sat on the bottom of the ladder in the opening two seasons of the competition.

Delhi move on to face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the weekend's final.