Mumbai Indians produced a last-ball four-wicket win over Delhi Capitals in the Women's Premier League 2024 opener in Bengaluru on Friday, February 23. Debutant Sajeevan Sajana smashed a last-ball six when Mumbai Indians needed five runs to win the game while chasing a 172-run target at M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Both teams managed to pull off a thriller to kick off the second edition of the tournament in a memorable fashion. Alice Capsey's 75 off 53 and quick 42 runs from Jemimah Rodrigues boosted Delhi Capitals to 171/5 while batting first but Mumbai Indians emerged winners again after impressive knocks from wicketkeeper batter Yastika Bhatia and captain Harmanpreet Kaur.
Harmanpreet won the toss and elected to bowl first with Shabnim Ismail making her big debut for Mumbai Indians while Delhi Capitals handed a debut to Australian all-rounder Annabel Sutherland.
Ismail delivered instantly by bowling out Shafali Verma in the third over but Delhi Capitals were quick to bounce back. Captain Meg Lanning and Capsey added 64 runs for the second wicket to put Delhi Capitals on track for a big total.
Natalie Sciver-Brunt gave MI a breakthrough with Lanning's wicket in the 11th over who scored 31 runs. Capsey and Jemimah Rodrigues then played out a sensational stand of 74 runs for the third wicket with the former smashing 75 and Indian batter adding 42 runs off just 24 balls.
Marizanne Kapp delivered a strong finish by smashing 14 runs off Amelia Kerr in the last over. Sciver-Brunt and Kerr took two wickets of each while debutant Ismail bagged one for 24 for the defending champions.
Delhi Capitals also struggled for a start as Kapp dismissed last edition's Player of the Tournament Hayley Mathews on a duck in the first over. Sciver-Brunt and Yastika then charged Mumbai Indians' comeback with a 50-run partnership for the second wicket.
Delhi took control of the game with pacer Arundhati Reddy dismissing both Yastika and Sciver-Brunt but Harmanpreet kept Mumbai alive with a brilliant fifty. Harmanpreet and Amelia Kerr almost guided Mumbai to win with a 44-run stand for the fourth wicket but Capsey made Delhi favourites going into the last over.
Capsey took two wickets in the last over while defending 12 runs but Sajana pulled off a huge six over long-on area on the last ball of the game to boost Mumbai Indians to a thrilling win. Yastika top-scored with 57 off 45 balls while Harmanpreet scored 55 off just 34 balls to claim the Player of the Match award.
Mumbai Indians Playing XI: Hayley Matthews, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Amelia Kerr, Amanjot Kaur, Sajeevan Sajana, Pooja Vastrakar, Shabnim Ismail, Keerthana Balakrishnan, Saika Ishaque
Delhi Capitals Playing XI: Shafali Verma, Meg Lanning (c), Alice Capsey, Jemimah Rodrigues, Marizanne Kapp, Annabel Sutherland, Arundhati Reddy, Minnu Mani, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Radha Yadav, Shikha Pandey
