In the inaugural encounter of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2024, Mumbai Indians Women (MIW) went head-to-head with Delhi Capitals Women (DCW). MIW clinched a thrilling five-wicket victory, with S Sanjana hitting a six off the last ball to secure the win. Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of defending champions MIW, won the toss and opted to bowl first against Meg Lannings-led DCW at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium on February 23 (Friday).
Sent in to bat first, DCW faced a challenging start with Shefali Verma losing her wicket to MIW’s Shabnim Ismail after scoring just 1 run. Nevertheless, Meg Lanning and Alice Capsey steadied Delhi’s innings, setting the stage for a challenging total. While Lanning departed after contributing 31 runs, Capsey continued her aggressive approach. Joined by Jemimah Rodrigues, who scored a quick 42 off 24 balls, Capsey’s innings of 75 runs off 53 balls propelled DCW to a formidable total of 171-5 within their allotted 20 overs.
MIW faced an early setback in their innings when Hayley Matthews lost her wicket in the very first over to Marizanne Kapp without scoring. However, Yastika Bhatia played a crucial role, mirroring Capsey’s impact for DCW, contributing 57 runs in 45 balls and providing much-needed stability to MIW’s chase.
S Sanjana Seals Mumbai A Thrilling Victory Off Last Ball By Hitting Six
Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur showcased her leadership skills with a captain’s knock, scoring 55 off just 34 balls. In a tense final over, Kaur lost her wicket on the second-last ball with MIW needing five runs off the final delivery. S Sanjana faced the daunting task of hitting a six to secure victory on the last ball, and she accomplished just that by lofting the ball over long-on for a high and handsome six, guiding MIW to a thrilling win.
Royal Challengers Bangalore Women (RCBW) are set to face UP Warriorz (UPW) in the second match of the WPL 2024 at their home ground, M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on February 24 (Saturday).
