Mumbai Indians edge out Delhi Capitals in a thriller to win 2nd WPL title , Harman shines

 

Mumbai has once again claimed the Women’s Premier League (WPL) title. Led by captain Harmanpreet Kaur, Mumbai, the champions of the inaugural season, repeated history by defeating Delhi Capitals in the final to secure their second WPL trophy. The thrilling final, played at Mumbai’s Brabourne Stadium, saw Mumbai triumph over Delhi by 8 runs, thanks to a memorable innings from skipper Kaur and a dominant bowling performance by the team.

The third-season final, held on Saturday, March 15, witnessed Mumbai Indians overcoming a shaky start to stage a strong comeback with the bat. Their bowlers then set the foundation for victory by delivering early blows to Delhi’s batting lineup. Even when Delhi Capitals showed signs of a comeback, Mumbai’s bowlers once again turned the game in their favour, sealing the championship win.

Delhi Capitals’ veteran captain, Meg Lanning, endured heartbreak for the second consecutive WPL final. This time, however, it seemed her luck was about to change when her team opted to bowl first and South African all-rounder Marizanne Kapp (2/11) struck early, dismissing both Mumbai openers by the fifth over with the score at just 14 runs. The ball was moving around as both Kapp and Shikha Pandey were swinging the ball prodigiously as both the openers were unable to strike the ball . Mathews (3)  was bowled by an inswinging Kapp delivery while Yastika (8) after hitting a 4,  was superbly caught by Jemima in the covers off Kapp.  But Mumbai’s recovery began with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, who found strong support from England’s star all-rounder, Nat Sciver-Brunt—the first player in WPL history to score more than 500 runs in a single season. The duo built a crucial 89-run partnership for the third wicket. During this stand, Kaur smashed a half-century in just 33 balls, scoring 66 runs in total, while Sciver-Brunt contributed 30.  Harman was striking a ball sweetly and very quickly got the momentum back for Mumbai by playing a dazzling knock of  66 runs in just 40 balls . Sciver was not timing the ball as well as in the previous games but still contributed a decent score .  Later when both departed , Kamalini ( 10 in 7 balls) ,  Amanjot ( 14 not out in 7 balls ) and Sanskriti (8) propelled Mumbai to a competitive total of 149/7. A competitive score but not a match winning one . 

With a chance to avenge their previous two final defeats, Delhi Capitals had a golden opportunity. However, their star opening duo—Meg Lanning and Shafali Verma—failed to deliver, both departing by the third over with just 17 runs on the board. Meg was bowled for 13 by Nat Sciver while Shafali (4) was lbw to a fast ball from Ismail.  Jonassen (13)  and Annabel Sutherland also fell early, leaving Delhi struggling at 44/4. The team's hopes then rested on Jemimah Rodrigues (30), who was playing aggressively and keeping Delhi in the game. However, in the 11th over, Amelia Kerr took a stunning return catch to dismiss Rodrigues off a leading edge , dealing a major blow to Delhi’s chase.

Marizanne Kapp (40) then led a late fightback, launching an aggressive counterattack with the help of lower-order batters. Her flurry of boundaries and sixes brought Delhi to 120 runs by the end of the 17th over, leaving them needing just 30 runs from the last three overs. However, Kapp fell while attempting a big shot, and Nikki Prasad’s (25) efforts were not enough to take Delhi over the line. The team ultimately finished at 141/9 in 20 overs.

For Mumbai, Nat Sciver-Brunt was the standout bowler, taking three crucial wickets, including those of Kapp and Lanning. With this victory, Mumbai once again cemented their dominance in the Women’s Premier League.