SYNOPSIS: Mumbai Indians received their 2nd WPL title, driving on clutch performances from their star gamers, led by a Harmanpreet Kaur particular. For Delhi Capitals, three straight remaining defeats.
Meg Lanning’s Delhi Capitals confronted yet one more remaining heartbreak after having made it to a few finals in three Girls’s Premier League editions. As soon as once more – as within the final two editions – it was their batting that permit them down, as they fell brief within the remaining hurdle on the Brabourne Stadium. Mumbai Indians clinched their second title, successful by 8 runs whereas defending 149/7, driving on match-winning performances from their star gamers. Main the cost was Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain enjoying a sensational knock beneath strain that proved to be the distinction ultimately.
Harmanpreet steps up
Earlier than the event started, within the captain’s press meet, a query was posed whether or not we are going to lastly see the primary century in WPL this season. Meg Lanning predicted it might occur and three Australian batters, together with the previous Aussie captain, got here shut in Lucknow. Harmanpreet Kaur then chimed in with a prediction on who it is likely to be, she put her personal title up. It wasn’t fairly a ton on the large night time, however Harmanpreet’s 44-ball 66 is value greater than any century.
When she got here into bat, MI have been 14/2 within the fifth over. On the different finish of the powerplay, the scoreboard learn 20/2. DC couldn’t have presumably dreamt of a greater begin. Within the Eliminator, she needed to are available late after an enormous partnership and blasted her strategy to a 12-ball 36.
However right here, she needed to dig in. Unsurprisingly, she performed just a few pre-meditated sweeps for singles to regular the ship, transferring to 11 off 15 balls on the finish of the ninth over. Then got here the acceleration, as she welcomed Annabel Sutherland with a six over sq. leg. That was adopted by a stunning off-drive previous mid-off for a 4. Within the eleventh over, she hit Jess Jonassen for a hat-trick of fours, manipulating the sphere expertly on the offside. Even when she was evidently beginning to battle with a leg difficulty, she cleared the sphere on the leg aspect off Jonassen for an enormous six. Her final 55 runs got here off simply 29 balls.
At one level, when the stadium DJ was asking the group to chant her title, her teammates from the dugout joined in too, it was that form of an innings.
Mumbai-Kerr magic
Her scores with the bat this season learn: 9, 19, 2, 17, 10, 5, 9, and a couple of within the remaining. Amelia Kerr is a significantly better batter than these numbers counsel and it was yet one more disappointing effort from somebody who units excessive requirements for herself. However that’s the great thing about having an allrounder as elite as Kerr, as a result of she will ship on the opposite two abilities. With the ball, she picked up 2/25, with two huge breakthroughs. DC had managed to attain 37/2 within the powerplay regardless of early setbacks, miles forward of 20/2 from MI. However Kerr struck proper after the 6-over mark to dismiss Jonassen, who had received a few matches for DC when promoted to bat at No 3.
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MI Celebration after the ultimate wicket
Categorical Photograph by Amit Chakravarty 15-03-25
Then got here maybe an even bigger turning level. Jemimah Rodrigues was wanting decided to complete a lean season on a excessive and hit Kerr for back-to-back fours at the beginning of the eleventh over. Then Kerr threw one up slowly outdoors off, to attract a false shot from Rodrigues, following that up together with her trademark wrong-un. Rodrigues may solely get a forefront, and there was Kerr, prepared to indicate her fielding abilities, sprinting ahead within the follow-through and diving ahead to take an excellent return catch. Kerr completed the season with 18 wickets, joint high with Hayley Matthews.
NSB, the MVP
She grew to become the primary batter to attain 1,000 runs within the historical past of WPL, and in addition crossed 500+ in a single season. However Nat Sciver-Brunt’s most vital contributions got here with the ball in hand, within the firm of retired South African legend Shabnim Ismail.
Regardless of a good comeback with the bat, Lanning’s workforce would have taken 150 as a goal to chase in a floor conducive to boundary hitting. With Shafali Verma and Meg Lanning on the high of the order, who’ve scored greater than 1000 runs collectively, MI desperately wanted an excellent begin. Sciver-Brunt produced the primary breakthrough to get one via Lanning’s defence after which Ismail bowled certainly one of her knowledgeable off-cutters with the brand new ball, trapping Shafali plumb in entrance. Ismail completed with figures of 1/15 in her 4 overs.
WPL Closing between Delhi Capitals Vs Mumbai Indian’s at Brabourne Stadium on Saturday night.
Categorical Photograph by Amit Chakravarty 15-03-2025, Mumbai.
Then, on the dying, Sciver-Brunt got here again to choose up the large wicket of Marizanne Kapp, who was enjoying her greatest innings of the season.
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Batting on 40 off 25 balls, the South African tried to hit one on the up down the bottom however Hayley Matthews accomplished the catch. Shikha Pandey was bowled the subsequent ball. And with 14 wanted off 6 balls, she calmly delivered a remaining over together with her cutters proving close to unattainable to place away for Delhi’s decrease order. With figures of three/30 in 4 overs – on an evening when she couldn’t fairly go huge with the bat – Nat Sciver-Brunt signed off an unimaginable season with a clutch efficiency. By a long way, the WPL’s Most Beneficial Participant.