‘What a match to start this season of WPL’- Fans react as MI wins a last-ball thriller against DC in 1st match of WPL 2024
Mumbai Indians Women
After a successful inaugural edition, WPL is back with its 2nd edition with the expectations of being bigger and better than last year and taking women’s cricket to greater heights. After a grand opening ceremony with SRK setting the stage ablaze, it was time for real action as the defending champions Mumbai Indians took on last year’s runners-up Delhi Capitals in the first game at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
In a well-fought game, Harmanpreet Kaur-led Mumbai Indians overpowered Meg Lanning’s Delhi Capitals by 4 wickets. Mumbai won the toss and sent Delhi to bat on a placid Chinnaswamy wicket.
Mumbai Indians were spot on with their fielding from the get-go and didn’t let the Capitals get off to a flyer which resulted in the departure of dangerous Shefali Verma who got cast by the pace of Shabnam Ismail. Delhi were reeling at 26 for 1 after the end of the powerplay but soon Alice Capsey and skipper Meg Lanning took over and stitched a 64-run partnership before Lanning departed for 31 off a wider slower ball by Nat Sciver-Brunt.
But after it was a Capsey and Rodrigues show who scored at a brisk pace and took Mumbai bowlers to cleaners. Capsey(75) and Rodrigues (42) took Delhi to a competitive score of 171 at the end of 20 overs. Alice Capsey was the pick of the batters who smashed 75 off 53 balls including 9 fours and 3 towering sixes.
Mumbai Indian’s thrilling chase
Mumbai Indians maintained their 100% chasing record in the WPL as they snatched victory with a last-ball six while chasing 172 runs. Harmanpreet Kaur and Yastika Bhatia smoked blistering half-centuries but it took a last-ball six from S Sajana to take them over the line in a thrilling run-chase.
Yastika Bhatika got the momentum going with her first fifty in WPL but it was Harmanpreet’s quick-fire of 55 off just 35 balls that took Mumbai close to the target but she got out in the second-last ball of the match leaving 5 runs off 1 ball for Sajana but the 28-year old kept her nerve and took Mumbai over the line with a last-ball six to finish the match off Alice Capsey.
It was a perfect start to the 2nd edition of the WPL and was a treat for the fans who took over to social media to express their views on the thrilling encounter between the two top teams of the tournament. Here are some of the tweets:
What a match to start this season of WPL! 🔥🔥
— Anir G (@XOX62746049) February 23, 2024
Our own Malayali girl ❤️🔥
— 𝗕𝗥𝗨𝗧𝗨 (@Brutu24) February 23, 2024
what a shot..,what a player 👏
— Ř!§ƁĤ (@maverick_one8) February 23, 2024
https://twitter.com/its_Niraj8/status/1761088757162459298
Shows how inexperienced Capsey is. The batter will obviously step out to hit the ball. She should have tried to bowl the ball wider and fuller. Anyway, she'll definitely learn from this. Only 19, don't forget.
— Ronald D Sampson (@rdsampson_25) February 23, 2024
Jay Shah supremacy in WPL 🔥pic.twitter.com/43uPgVEunv
— Johns (@JohnyBravo183) February 23, 2024
Unbelievable 👍😍🤩 Madness on WPL Season…
Nothing Can Be Better than This To See 👀 Opening Game 🎮 Of WPL With Nail 💅 Biting… Last Over Thriller…
— Ajay Gautam (@gautam_ajay007) February 23, 2024
