Even though the Capitals rallied from 79 for 9 to win the game in the final over, it wasn’t enough.
Mumbai Indians defeated Delhi Capitals 131 for 9 (Lanning 35, Pandey 27*, Radha 27*, Matthews 3-5, Wong 3-42) by seven wickets totaling 134 for 3 (Sciver-Brunt 60*, Harmanpreet 37).
The First Season of the Mumbai Indians WPL.
Finally, Meg Lanning’s squad had been eclipsed by Harmanpreet Kaur’s. The grand final concluded in a last-over conclusion that few would have believed was possible at one point, despite initially appearing to be a one-sided affair.
At 79 for 9, the Delhi Capitals were barely holding on. It is the moment at which the match would have been declared over if it had been a wrestling match. However, Shikha Pandey and Radha Yadav’s excellent performances allowed them to score 131. Then, with Mumbai requiring 21, their spinners reduced it to the final two overs.
Capitals, who had been holding on for so long, gave way at this crucial juncture as Nat Sciver-Brunt displayed a delicate balance of composure and arrogance. She stroked the opening pitch of Jess Jonassen’s 19th over to the boundary after bringing up the innings’ stability with a 52-ball half-century. It caused the Capitals to lose steam.
Amelia Kerr sent two more fours to the door by picking off two more fours. When Sciver-Brunt paddled Alice Capsey past a short fine, it was an appropriate way to end the contest. While Mumbai Indians dominated their way to the first WPL championship, she stayed undefeated at 60.
Three wickets for Wong off total deliveries
Shefali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Alice Capsey.
These three identities will stay in Issy Wong’s memory for a long. She could force them all out with full tosses, leaving the Capitals flailing at 35 for 3 in the fifth over—not because they are all excellent hitters, but because she managed to force them all out.
Mainly Shafali’s dismissal was filled with excitement as the referees looked for a no-ball. The batter spooned a total throw almost waist-high for a grab at the backward point, and it was a close call. After several replays, Shafali was declared ineligible, leading to an animated argument between Lanning and the judges.
After scoring 34, 38*, 22, and 38 points since being promoted to No. 3, Capsey bunted a complete toss to short cover for a two-ball duck two balls later to stop the remarkable run of runs.
Rodrigues outlined a delectable total throw to backward point in Wong’s subsequent over following two dazzling cover drives.
The wrinkle in the Lanning runout
Before the Capitals lost both in eight deliveries, Lanning swiftly piled on 38 with Marizanne Kapp as she continued to counterpunch.
As they attempted to nick a sharp single to short cover, Kapp was caught behind off a quick Kerr leg break, and Lanning was sold a dummy by her Australian teammate Jonassen due to improper communication between the two batters. It began a spectacular fall for the Capitals, from 73 for 3 to 79 for 9.
With a fantastic exhibition of offspring, Hayley Matthews, who had no takers in the first round of the WPL auction, came into her own, ending with 3 for five off her four overs.
Taniya Bhatia’s third outing was the cherry on top when she lured her forward and bowled her on the inside edge by beating her in the air and off the field. With 16 kills after that wicket, she became the most productive spinner in the game.
The final fight between Yadav and Pandey
Pandey chose not to give up after batting for just the second time in the tournament. She found a partner in Yadav, and together they piled on an unbelievable 52 runs off 24 deliveries for the final wicket.
In the final over, Pandey walloped Wong inside-out for six over cover and expertly pulled to the square leg fence to bring about the turn of events.
Yadav then forced Sciver-Brunt to hit two huge sixes to finish the game, ensuring a perfect pendulum movement. Yadav scored 27 off 12, while Pandey ended with a score of 27 not out off 17 deliveries.
The Capitals’ optimism was restored.
Mumbai Indians was rocking early.
When Yastika Bhatia heaved Yadav to deep midwicket to give the Capitals an early attack, total toss wickets continued. Capitals applied constant pressure between overs 2.3 and 7.2, preventing Mumbai from scoring a single boundary. The vital door of Matthews, who Jonassen superbly dismissed after being caught by Arundhati Reddy at short midwicket, left Mumbai at 23 for 2.
Sciver-Brunt and Harmanpreet calm jitters
The hatchet in the capitals was being polished. Lanning had limited the run-flow with his deft field placing. On two of 9, Harmanpreet was having trouble. Sciver-Brunt was on seven off eighteen.
In the eighth over, the England all-rounder skillfully lifted the ball inside-out over extra cover to end the scoreless tie. From that point on, Mumbai Indians routinely hit boundaries.
Harmanpreet made up for her sluggish start using solid strokes and draws as she developed her touch. Sciver-Brunt was more methodical and artisanal, using the ball’s speed to score in the V directly behind her on both sides of the wicket.
The two built a 72-run partnership without ever taking a swing in rage, putting Mumbai in a position to win. Then something else changed. The runout by Harmanpreet with 37 required off 23.
However, Kerr showed why she is a top-tier all-around player. In the 19th over, which resulted in 16 runs, she struck Jonassen for two long balls. You could tell then that Mumbai had won the pendulum in full force.
