It was the Jemimah Rodriques show as the Delhi Capitals beat defending Women’s Premier League champions the Mumbai Indians by 29 runs at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
After Mumbai Indians captain Harmanpreet Kaur sent the Delhi Capitals in to bat, Rodrigues contributed a swashbuckling 69 of just 33 deliveries to help her team post a massive 192 for four.
The Capitals then restricted the Mumbai Indians to 163 for eight. It is the first time the defending champions have lost a match batting second.
A roaring beginning at home for the @DelhiCapitals 👏👏#DC maintain their 🔝 position on the points table with a 29-run win over #MI 🥳
— Women's Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) March 5, 2024
Live 💻📱https://t.co/NlmvrPq6yj#TATAWPL | #DCvMI pic.twitter.com/vP1zGzzFwt
Mumbai Indians’ massive run-chase couldn’t have started on a worse note when Marizanne Kapp bowled Yastika Bhatia for six (3b, 1x4) in the first over and with the score on seven.
Mumbai Indians then stumbled to 12 for two the next over when Nat Sciver-Brunt’s wickets went flying thanks to Shikha Pandey and she had to walk back for 5 (3b, 1x4).
Kapp picked up her second wicket when Kaur (6, 6b, 1x4) got a leading edge and Radha Yadav took the catch that saw the defending champions slump to 29 for three in the third over.
Hayley Matthews and Amelia Kerr restored some respectability to the innings before Matthews had to depart for 29 of 17 deliveries (6x4) with Alice Capsey taking an easy catch from the bowling of Jess Jonassen.
The Mumbai Indians were on 54 for four.
The safe hands of Rodriques were responsible for the end of Kerr for 17 (20b, 1x4, 1x6). Sadhu was the bowler that saw the Indians reeling on 68 for five.
Amanjot Kaur and Pooja Vastrakar then dug in and steadied proceedings somewhat.
Two runs short of a 50-run partnership, however, Jonassen bowled Kaur for 42 (27b, 7x4), taking the Mumbai Indians’ score to 116 for six. They were left to score 73 off 24 balls for victory.
The Indians lost their seventh wicket with the score on 137 when Vastrakar was stumped for 17 just after hitting Yadav for six.
Jonassen picked up her third wicket when she bowled Humaira Kazi (6, 8b) with the last ball of the match. Sajeevan Sajana (24*) was the not-out batter.
RODRIGUES ROCKS
Earlier, Shabnim Ismail was given the new ball after sitting out the previous match due to injury.
Delhi Capital openers Meg Lanning and Shafali Verma safely navigated the first over with Verma getting off the mark with a four. She also punished Saika Ishaque from the other end with some powerful hitting.
Just as it looked like Verma was going to take it all the way, following two massive sixes, the Delhi Capitals lost their first wicket with the score on 48.
Ismail had the last laugh when the batter got a slight touch and the ball went through to wicketkeeper Bhatia.
Verma had to walk back after a quick-fire 28 of just 12 deliveries that included three fours and two sixes.
Matthews struck in her first over when she bowled Capsey for 19 (20b, 3x4) with the score on 79 for one.
At the halfway mark of their innings, the Delhi Capitals were on 86 for two. Just two overs later, the score had moved to 109 for two.
Lanning was in good form with some powerful hitting all around the ground. The former Australian captain’s 50 was scored of only 36 deliveries and included six fours and two sixes.
🚨 Milestone Alert 🚨
— Women's Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) March 5, 2024
Meg Lanning becomes the first player ever to reach 5⃣0⃣0⃣ runs in #TATAWPL 👏👏
Live 💻📱https://t.co/NlmvrPq6yj#TATAWPL | #DCvMI | @DelhiCapitals pic.twitter.com/o3GCqbIFbK
The Delhi Capitals lost their third wicket with the score on 114 when a diving catch by Kerr, from the bowling of Vastrakar, brought Lanning’s innings (53, 38b) to an end.
Towards the end of the innings, Rodrigues and Kapp stuck it to the Mumbai Indian bowlers as they started contributing to a sizeable total.
It was especially Vastrakar and Ismail who were punished by the two Delhi batters.
It was left to Ishaque to reign things in when she bowled Kapp for 11 (12b, 1x4) and the Delhi Capitals were 151 for four with 16 deliveries remaining in their innings.
Rodrigues brought up her first 50 in the competition with a massive six and duly followed it up with another one from the bowling of Sciver-Brunt in the penultimate over.
She was still there at the end with a magnificent 69 of 33 deliveries (8x4, 3x6). The unbeaten 41-run fifth-wicket partnership from 16 balls with Jonassen (4 not out) added to the Mumbai Indians’ misery.
Jemimah Rodrigues entertained Delhi with her superb 69*-run knock and she receives the Player of the Match award 🏆
— Women's Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) March 5, 2024
Scorecard 💻📱https://t.co/NlmvrPq6yj#TATAWPL | #DCvMI | @JemiRodrigues pic.twitter.com/eRlV1Yj24w
DELHI CAPITALS: Meg Lanning (c), Shafali Verma, Alice Capsey, Jemimah Rodrigues, Marizanne Kapp, Jess Jonassen, Arundhati Reddy, Radha Yadav, Taniya Bhatia, Shikha Pandey, Titas Sadhu.
MUMBAI INDIANS: Yastika Bhatia, Hayley Matthews, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Amelia Kerr, Pooja Vastrakar, Amanjot Kaur, Sajeevan Sajana, Humaira Kazi, Shabnim Ismail, Saika Ishaque.