WPL 2023: Mumbai Indians beat Delhi Capitals to win inaugural Women’s Premier League

More than an encounter between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals, Sunday’s Women’s Premier League was projected as a summit conflict between the 2 most interesting cricket captains on this planet – Meg Lanning and Harmanpreet Kaur.

Over the final three years, Lanning had squared off towards Harmanpreet in main finals twice – within the T20 World Cup in 2020 and the Commonwealth Games final 12 months. And on each events, Lanning’s Australia had the final chuckle.

But a number of months and a few heartbreaks later, Harmanpreet lastly settled scores with Lanning – albeit in a franchise league – as Mumbai Indians rode on her gritty 37 (39b, 5×4) and one more unbeaten half-century by Nat Sciver-Brunt (60 not out, 55b, 7×4) to clinch the maiden WPL title, beating Delhi Capitals by seven wickets.

After the bowlers – Isabelle Wong (three for 42) and Hayley Matthews (three for five) – restricted Delhi Capitals to 131 for 9, Harmanpreet and Sciver-Brunt ensured that they took issues of their stride and rebuilt with a 75-ball-72-run partnership.

Coming in at a time when the Mumbai outfit misplaced its openers Yastika Bhatia and Matthews inside the primary 4 overs, with simply 23 runs on the board, it was a difficult activity for Harmanpreet to settle in.

But whilst a packed Brabourne Stadium chanted ‘ Mumbai, Mumbai’, the seasoned Harmanpreet lower out the noise and handled singles to guide the workforce’s fightback. While the Delhi Capitals appeared determined to discover a breakthrough, Harmanpreet and Sciver-Brunt went about their enterprise in model, and didn’t appear to be in a rush. And as the sport progressed, their technique was easy – depend on singles and infrequently intention for a giant over. That mantra appeared to have labored as Delhi Capitals bowlers struggled to discover a breakthrough.

There was a time when it appeared as if each Harmanpreet and Sciver-Brunt would end it off in model, however within the first ball of the seventeenth over, there got here a twist as Harmanpreet was run out.

Mumbai Indians nonetheless wanted 37 off 23 deliveries and issues may have gone topsy-turvy had Sciver-Brunt not stepped up with a few boundaries. And that set the tone. 

Pairing with Amelie Kerr, Sciver-Brunt ensured there have been no slip-ups and the duo added 16 runs within the penultimate over, earlier than the England worldwide sealed the take care of a boundary within the third ball of the ultimate over.

As the Mumbai Indians gamers rushed in the direction of the bottom amid enormous cheers from the spectators, the tv cameras panned in the direction of Wong and Matthews – the opposite two architects of Mumbai’s success. 

It was, in any case, Wong and Matthews who gave the ‘home team’ the much-needed breakthroughs after Delhi received the toss and opted to bat.

Shafali Verma began off aggressively with a six and a 4 off Wong earlier than the younger England bowler bounced again with a excessive full-toss supply. Shafali made room and sliced it within the air, hoping to clear the boundary rope. But it was caught comfortably by Kerr at backward level. Though Shafali took a evaluation for a no-ball, the ball-tracking confirmed that it was on the waist and was dipping on the finish. It was definitely a contact and go and the third umpire gave the good thing about doubt to the bowler, a lot to the displeasure of Shafali and Lanning.

Adding to its woes, Delhi Capitals misplaced one other wicket in Alex Capsey in a span of two deliveries. Wong’s low full-toss supply beneath the waist caught Capsey unawares as she lobbed it in entrance of canopy and Amanjot Kaur dived ahead to take an ideal catch. Coming into the ultimate after a hat-trick towards UP Warriorz within the eliminator a few days in the past, the younger Wong continued along with her magic as she banked on one more full-toss supply to assert the wicket of Jemimah Rodrigues – her third of the sport.

Lanning and Marizanne Kapp added 38 runs for the fourth wicket earlier than Kerr discovered the breakthrough by dismissing Kapp and shortly, Lanning was run out.

Thereon, a collapse ensued. From being at 73 for 3, Delhi Capitals slipped to 79 for 9 very quickly. It appeared an herculean activity for the Capitals to breach the 100-run mark then, however a whirlwind last-wicket partnership of 52 runs off 24 balls between Shikha Pandey and Radha Yadav helped them put up a modest whole. However, that was not sufficient for Delhi to defend as Mumbai Indians overcame the early jitters to stay unbeaten on the Brabourne Stadium.

With Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and different members of the MI males’s workforce in attendance for the ultimate, Harmanpreet’s workforce ensured that they had the final chuckle!