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Delhi Capitals (DC) began their WPL 2025 campaign with a thrilling yet narrow win over Mumbai Indians (MI). The match went down to the wire, with DC securing the win on the very last ball of the final over.
Delhi Capitals' thrilling win over Mumbai Indians
Mumbai Indians, batting first, had a slow start but gained momentum through innings from Yastika Bhatia, Nat Sciver-Brunt, and Harmanpreet Kaur. Despite a late-innings collapse, MI managed to post a competitive total of 165.
Chasing the target, Delhi Capitals enjoyed a solid opening partnership courtesy of Shafali Verma. However, a middle-order collapse left them struggling. Nikki Prasad then played a crucial, gritty innings, getting valuable support from Radha Yadav. With 10 runs needed in the final over, Prasad and Arundhati guided DC across the finish line, securing their first points of the tournament.
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Delhi Capitals' decision to bowl first paid immediate dividends when Meg Lanning took a catch off Shikha Pandey's bowling, dismissing Hayley Matthews for a duck on just the second ball of the match. Mumbai Indians were quickly 0/1. However, the following over saw Alice Capsey concede 19 runs, including a series of boundaries to Yastika Bhatia and Nat Sciver-Brunt. Pandey struck again in the fifth over, bowling Bhatia for 11, leaving MI at 32/2.
By the end of the powerplay, Mumbai Indians had reached 41/2, with Sciver-Brunt (22*) and captain Harmanpreet Kaur (2*) at the crease. Sciver-Brunt continued to attack, hitting a four to bring up MI's 50 in 7.1 overs. The same over saw her and Kaur take 18 runs off Radha Yadav, including a four and a six. The pair maintained a good scoring rate, achieving their 50-run partnership in just 30 balls. At the halfway mark, MI were 87/2, with Sciver-Brunt (45*) and Kaur (24*) looking strong.
Kaur then launched an aggressive assault on Annabel Sutherland in the 11th over, hitting three fours and a six before being caught by debutant Niki Prasad. Kaur departed for a quickfire 42 off 22 balls, with four boundaries and three sixes, leaving MI at 105/3. Sciver-Brunt reached her fourth WPL fifty in 36 balls, but Mumbai Indians then suffered a series of quick wickets, losing Amelia Kerr, S Sajana, and Amanjot Kaur for single-digit scores between overs 14 and 16, and falling to 146/6.
Nat Sciver-Brunt held the Mumbai Indians innings together, guiding them past the 150-run mark in 16.5 overs. However, their late-innings struggles continued, and they were eventually bowled out for 164 in 19.1 overs. Sciver-Brunt was the top scorer, remaining unbeaten with 80 runs off 59 balls, including 13 fours. Annabel Sutherland was the pick of the Delhi Capitals bowlers, taking 3 wickets for 34 runs. Shikha Pandey took two wickets, while Minnu Mani and Alice Capsey claimed one each.
Chasing 165, Delhi Capitals got off to a flying start. Shafali Verma took 22 runs off Saika Ishaque's second over, hitting four boundaries and a six. In the sixth over, Verma continued her aggressive approach, smashing two consecutive fours and a six off Hayley Matthews, bringing up Delhi's 50 in 5.1 overs. However, Matthews had the last laugh, taking a brilliant catch at short mid-wicket to dismiss Verma for a rapid 43 off 18 balls, including seven fours and two sixes. Delhi Capitals were 60/1 in 5.5 overs. The following over saw Shabnim Ismail bowl Meg Lanning for 15 runs off 19 balls, leaving Delhi at 60/2 in 6.1 overs.
Mumbai Indians' all-rounders, Amelia Kerr and Nat Sciver-Brunt, then took quick wickets, dismissing Jemimah Rodrigues and Annabel Sutherland in rapid succession. This double blow significantly hampered Delhi Capitals' chase, reducing them to 76/4 in 8.5 overs. At the halfway mark, DC were 83/4, with Alice Capsey (3*) and Niki Prasad (5*) at the crease.
Delhi Capitals reached the 100-run mark in 13 overs, aided by a boundary from Prasad. Capsey's attempt to loft the ball resulted in her dismissal, caught by Shabnim Ismail off Amelia Kerr's bowling for 16 runs. DC were now 109/5 in 14.5 overs. A few aggressive shots from Prasad and Sarah Bryce brought the required runs down to 21 from two overs. However, Hayley Matthews then dismissed Bryce for a quickfire 21 off 12 balls, including two fours and a six. The penultimate over was a dramatic one. Shikha Pandey was run out for three, but Radha Yadav hit the final ball for a crucial six, leaving Delhi needing 10 runs in the last over.
The final over began with Prasad hitting a boundary. But her dismissal on the second-to-last ball for a well-played 35 off 33 balls, including four boundaries, meant Delhi Capitals needed two runs from the final delivery. Arundhati Reddy (2*) and Radha Yadav (9*) then completed a risky double off the last ball to secure the win. Amelia Kerr (2/21) and Hayley Matthews (2/32) were the top wicket-takers for Mumbai Indians, while Ismail, Sciver-Brunt, and Sajana took one wicket each.
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