‘It was about having clear heads’, says Chinelle Henry after DC march into fourth straight WPL final
Vadodara, Feb 4 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) As Delhi Capitals sealed their place in the final of the Women’s Premier League 2026 with a commanding seven-wicket win over Gujarat Giants in the Eliminator at the BCA Stadium here on Tuesday, allrounder Chinelle Henry reflected on the mindset of heading into the Eliminator, saying it was about having clear heads and staying calm.
Chasing a target of 169, DC completed the chase with 26 balls to spare, booking a final clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru and extending their record of qualifying for every WPL final to four.
“Before we went in, we had a small conversation about how we were going to go about it. In the previous games we played them, we came out on the wrong end in some pretty tight matches. This time it was about having clear heads and staying calm while chasing this total.”
An explosive opening partnership of 89 off 43 between Lizelle Lee (43 off 24) and Shafali Verma 31 off 21) laid the foundation for the chase before the middle order steered DC towards the favoured outcome.
Speaking about the clarity within the group and the trust in individual roles, Henry added, “It was about having clear plans and backing our strengths because we know how dangerous Shafali and Lizelle are at the top of the order. Regardless of the score, it was just about going out there and playing our game.”
Speaking about leadership within the team she said, “As a pace unit, a lot of the work is done behind the scenes. We pick each other’s brains and have a lot of conversations, especially about conditions.”
“Jemimah (Rodrigues) is always willing to have those conversations about what is working and what each bowler’s strengths are. Sharing the powerplay with (Marizanne) Kapp is special. We constantly talk about plans and how we can help the team together.”
Earlier, DC’s bowlers played a decisive role in putting the Giants under pressure with Chinelle Henry picking 3 and Nandni Sharma with 2 scalps derailing the opposition’s momentum. With her performance, Nandni achieved a landmark feat, becoming the highest wicket taking Indian bowler in a single WPL season, moving to 16 wickets in the 2026 edition and remaining in contention for the Purple Cap.
Opening up on the belief within the squad in high-pressure situations, Henry said, “As a team, we trust each other and we believe in the ability of the group. Whether it was Lizelle, Shafali, Jemimah or Laura, or the rest of us at the back end, we knew the job that we had to do.”
Henry has played a key role for DC this season, contributing across departments. Speaking about her role she said, “I was brought into this team as an all-rounder. If one part is not going your way, the other can fall into place. I am just happy to be helping the team in whichever way that I can.”
“Over the past couple of years, it has been about developing different skills, not just bowling with the new ball but being effective in different phases of the game and also improving my batting by reading situations better.”
With the team now turning their focus to the final, Henry said, “It does not matter whether you have a quick turnaround. As a unit, we are never switched off. The conversations about how we can get better are always happening.”
“Tonight was a win, but the most important game is still to come. We are always looking at how we can make that final step and become WPL champions,” she added.
Delhi Capitals will take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the final of the Women’s Premier League 2026 on Thursday.
