Mumbai: The Delhi Capitals excelled in every aspect on Saturday evening until their batsmen stumbled yet again under pressure, enabling the Mumbai Indians to secure their second Women’s Premier League (WPL) title at the Brabourne Stadium on Saturday. After winning the coin toss, the DC bowlers proved pivotal by limiting the Mumbai Indians to 149/7. Nevertheless, their batting lineup fell short for the third successive final match.
As soon as MI felt they were heading for victory, their bowlers pushed DC into submission, leading to an exciting eight-run triumph. Despite chasing a modest target on a wicket that got better with time, the DC batsmen couldn’t spark their pursuit and fell short of winning.
Explore Beyond The Limits with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!
When MI reached 83 for six, they were already envisioning hoisting the trophy. Yet, Marizanne Kapp’s rapid-fire innings of 40 off just 26 balls put Delhi Capitals back in contention. Nonetheless, Nat Sciver-Brunt (3/30) and Hayley Matthews, who have been consistently effective all season, joined forces once more to dismiss Kapp. Struggling for space, Kapp tried to clear the long-on fielder with her shot but instead handed Matthews an easy catch at the boundary.
Sciver-Brunt then dismissed Shikha Pandey, pushing MI to the brink of victory.
Initially, MI began energetically with the ball, fueled by a boisterous audience, dismissing three of DC's leading run-scorers within 6.2 overs when they were only at 37 runs. Meg Lanning was bowled by a fierce Sciver-Brunt bouncer; Shafali Verma was adjudged leg before wicket off Shabnim Ismail's (1/15) delivery; and Jess Jonassen top-edged an Amelia Kerr (2/25) pitch that resulted in a catch taken by wicketkeeper Yastika Bhatia.
After ten more deliveries, Saika Ishaque (33/1) dismissed Annabel Sutherland as DC fell to 44 for four. By the midway point, DC had reached 58 for four but still needed 92 runs off 60 remaining balls.
DC's batting failed to gather pace due to an absence of strong partnerships. Every time DC attempted to build one, MI promptly disrupted their progress. After getting settled, Jemimah Rodrigues (30 runs off 21 balls; 4 fours) aimed to accelerate her innings but unfortunately top-edged a ball from Kerr when trying to guide it towards the leg side. This miscue resulted in a catch taken splendidly by Kerr who ran forward to take the dismissal.
Initially, Harmanpreet Kaur's innings of 66 runs off 44 balls, featuring nine boundaries and two sixes, along with her partnership of 89 runs for the third wicket alongside Sciver-Brunt (who scored 30 runs from 28 balls including four boundaries), helped MI secure a competitive total of 149-7.
In the fifth over, Sciver-Brunt teamed up with Harmanpreet to steady the MI innings without taking unnecessary risks, pulling them out of the difficult situation they were in. By the eighth over, MI had managed only two boundaries, but Sciver-Brunt changed their fortune by hitting another pair off Shree Charani’s delivery in the ninth over.
Afterward, Sciver-Brunt stepped aside as Harmanpreet pushed forward to accelerate MI’s scoring pace. DC’s choice to field first paid off through their bowlers who maintained a disciplined line, effectively restricting the MI batsmen.
Kapp was the first to strike MI when she delivered an economical spell, ending up with figures of 2/11 off four overs and dismissing Hayley Matthews and Yastika Bhatia. In the initial six overs, MI managed only 20 runs, marking their second lowest score during the power play in this tournament’s history following their 19-run performance against the same team in the 2023 season at the DY Patil Stadium.
It seemed like MI was going to dominate the match due to the strong performance from Harmanpreet and Sciver-Brunt, but they quickly lost three wickets within just eight deliveries.
