A last-ball six by debutante Sanjeevan Sajana after Yastika Bhatia (57) and Harmanpreet Kaur (55) struck breezy half-centuries propelled Mumbai Indians (MI) to a 4-wicket triumph over Delhi Capitals (DC) in the season opener of the 2024 Women's Premier League (WPL) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
After Bollywood stars led by superstar Shah Rukh Khan lit up the night in the inaugural ceremony, Alice Capsey hammered a 53-ball 75 and along with Meg Lanning (31) and Jemimah Rodrigues (42) helped Delhi Capitals reach 171/5 in 20 overs after they were asked to bat first by the defending champions.
The match ebbed and flowed from one side to another, Mumbai Indians from a strong position reached the final over needing 12 runs from six balls. Alice Capsey, who had excelled with the bat, struck with the first ball of the last over to send back Pooja Vastrakar (1). Amanjot Kaur took two runs after Shafali Verma made a fine save and then ran a single. With nine needed off three balls, Harmanpreet struck a boundary.
But with five needed off two balls, the crowd was stunned as Harmanpreet was out as Annabel Sutherland caught a skier off a mighty heave leading Mumbai Indians needing five off the last ball with first-timer Sajana at the crease. The Indian youngster hammered Capsey for a first-ball six off a delivery in the slot at middle and leg to seal victory.
Earlier, Yastika Bhatia kept Mumbai Indians alive after Hayley Matthews was out for a two-ball duck. She and Nat Sciver-Brunt raised fifty runs for the second wicket off 33 balls before Yastika completed her half-century off 35 balls, studded with seven boundaries and two sixes. After Sciver-Brunt was out for 19, Yastika and Harmanpreet Kaur raised 56 runs for the third wicket.
In the first innings, after skipper Kaur opted to bowl first, Nat Sciver-Brunt took two wickets while Amelia Kerr nabbed the wickets of Alice Capsey and Marizanne Kapp. Shafali Verma was out early, scoring only one run from eight balls thanks to a brilliant delivery by Shabnim Ismail that rattled her middle stump.
Thereafter, skipper Meg Lanning and Alice Capsey steadied the Capitals' innings. Lanning scored 31 runs from 25 balls before getting out in the 11th over, while Capsey played impressively, hitting boundaries until she was dismissed for 75 in the 18th over.
Jemimah Rodrigues and Marizanne Kapp also made significant contributions, scoring 42 runs from 24 balls and 16 runs from 9 balls respectively, helping the Capitals reach a total of over 171 runs.
With inputs from IANS.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)