The Mumbai Indians have claimed their second Women’s Premier League (WPL) title with an eight-run win against the Delhi Capitals, who have seen their third straight defeat in the final.
Delhi, ever present in the three finals of the fledgling competition, would have felt very much in the game after reducing Mumbai to 149-7 at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai in the first innings on Saturday.
Captain and India international Harmanpreet Kaur’s 66 held together Mumbai’s hopes of keeping at bay the side they overcame in 2023’s inaugural final.
It was a miserly bowling performance from Delhi, led by South African Marizanne Kapp’s 2-11.
Despite a series of cameos in the chase, including a powerful late-innings blast from Kapp, it was Mumbai’s masterful control – led by 3-30 from England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt – that smothered Delhi’s hopes.
Having won the toss, Delhi were instantly vindicated in their decision to field first when West Indies opener Hayley Matthews was bowled for three by Kapp.
The right-armed seamer opened and bowled straight through her four overs as she also removed Mumbai’s other opener, Yastika Bhatia, in her third over.
Sciver-Brunt and Kaur began the fight for the 2023 champions with a partnership of 89, brought up in 10 overs, for the third wicket.
The former would have thought she was in for more runs when powerfully sweeping Shree Charani while on 30. However, the sweetly timed stroke perfectly picked out Minnu Mani at square.
Kaur’s 66, the top score of the final, held the innings together thereafter, but she was desperate for someone to stay with her. The next biggest partnership of the innings was the unbeaten eighth-wicket stand of 17.
Delhi’s reply could not have got off to a worse start with captain Meg Lanning and opening partner Shafali Verma both removed inside the first three overs.
Jess Jonassen followed in the first over after the powerplay before Annabel Sutherland followed in the eighth.
Another WPL final and another defeat loomed.
The captain may have departed, but her deputy, Jemimah Rodrigues, grasped the moment.
The Delhi vice captain praised her captain’s leadership in the build-up to the final, but it was her dynamic innings with the highest strike rate in the match of anyone facing more than seven deliveries that gave her side a chance.
Back-to-back boundaries to start the 11th propelled the right-hander to 30, but Amelia Kerr struck back before the over was out with a caught-and-bowled to remove the Delhi number four, who was premature in closing her bat face in search of a single.
Kapp, a leading light with the ball, appeared to be offering one final glimpse of hope for Delhi as she and Sarah Bryce started another partnership before a mix-up and a momentary hesitation by the latter saw her comfortably run out.
It was the third highest partnership of the innings at 18, but with the best being 22, it was a shallow return in search of a foundation upon which to build a chase.
Kapp continued her near one-woman pursuit to try to end Delhi’s losing streak in finals, and when Kerr carried a catch over the boundary in the 16th, it appeared the tide may well be turning.
When the powerful all-rounder holed out to long-on and Matthews – the first wicket she claimed in the match – for 40, the game and the final was well and truly up.
Sciver-Brunt, who claimed Kapp’s wicket, bowled Shikha Pandey the very next ball, and the chase quickly ended.
The celebrations for the hosts in Mumbai will long continue. However, so too will the pain of third time unlucky in a final for Delhi.
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