Match 1, Bengaluru, February 23, 2024, 08:00 PM
Delhi Capitals
171/5(20.0ov)
Mumbai Indians
173/6(20.0ov)
Mumbai Indians beat Delhi Capitals by 4 wickets
Best Batsmen
R
B
4S
6S
SR
Best Bowler
O
R
W
Econ
Man of the Match
Harmanpreet Kaur
Commentry
Right then, the second edition of the Women's T20 League is up and running with a memorable clash between the top two sides from the first tournament and this is just the start of much more exciting and bigger things to come. Up next, Bangalore will take on UP at the very same venue on Saturday, 24 February. That game will begin at 7.30 IST (2 pm GMT) but you can catch our build-up to the game a lot sooner. Till then, take care and goodbye!
Harmanpreet Kaur, the victorious captain of Mumbai is also the Player of the Match for her brilliant knock. She says that she is happy with the way they played. Gives credit to her batting coach, who made her practice very hard. Informs that she wanted to take a little break and recover mentally as well. Mentions that they only planned to take the game deep and Sajeevan Sajana showed what she really is capable of. Informs that they only wanted to look at the bowling option when trying to take the attack to the bowlers. States that if not for Sajana she wouldn't be standing here.
The Presentation ceremony...
Amelia Kerr now joins in for a quick chat. Kerr says that it feels really good to get over the line and things can go either way in such situations. Adds that the wicket was good for batting and the outfield was fast as well. Mentions that they knew they could go at 10 runs and over if they had wickets in hand and ends by saying that with wickets getting slower over the course of the tournament, their spinners will come more and more into play.
Meg Lanning, the captain of Delhi is in for a chat. On the total, she thinks that it was a decent one on this wicket. Adds that Mumbai began well, although we did manage to recover. Informs that the pitch was good for batters. She then praises Mumbai for getting over the line. She feels that they could have done the job, but unfortunately, it did not happen. Thinks that they executed their plans for the most part of the game.
Earlier in the game, Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and put Delhi into bat first and her decision was right away backed by Mumbai's new recruit and veteran pacer Shabnim Ismail who sent Shafali Verma packing early. After that, Meg Lanning and Alice Capsey put on a steady stand before shifting gears and the latter went on to play a magnificent innings. Jemimah Rodrigues came out with intent and got a quickfire 40-odd before Marizanne Kapp added the finishing touches to take Delhi over the 170-run mark. With the ball, Shabnim Ismail and Saika Ishaque were economical upfront but the rest of the bowlers took some pounding. Natalie Sciver-Brunt and Amelia Kerr picked up a couple of wickets each as well. Coming to the chase, it was neck-and-neck from start to finish but the reigning champions eventually came out on top.
Delhi will feel they should have won the game but moments like that final delivery happen and there's not much one can do about it. Marizanne Kapp gave them the perfect start but the likes of Shikha Pandey and Annabel Sutherland couldn't build on it and it was then Arundhati Reddy who got rid of Natalie Sciver-Brunt. The spinners couldn't build on much pressure in the middle phase and once again it was Reddy who broke a budding stand and brought her side back into the game. Pandey got one wicket too and Alice Capsey who bowled the last over got rid of the opposition skipper but couldn't take her side over the line as she conceded the six off the very last delivery.
Needing 172 for victory, it wasn't going to be straightforward for Mumbai and things got a bit difficult as they lost the talismanic Hayley Matthews in the very first over for a duck. But Mumbai are a team full of superstars and the likes of Yastika Bhatia and Natalie Sciver-Brunt fought back well but it was the former who played a superb innings. Yastika and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur put on a stand of 56 runs before Yastika was dismissed and then Amelia Kerr came in and played a handy knock as well. However, it was the skipper who took the game deep and almost won it as well but fell at the last hurdle and all seemed lost for Mumbai. Up stepped Sajeevan Sajana who came in and smoked a maximum off the final ball to seal the win and memorable game for her side.
ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED? Two outrageously skillful teams, battle it out in the opening fixture of a new season and what do we get out of it? Everything! The drama, the emotions and maybe the birth of a new hero in the form of Sajeevan Sajana. An absolute humdinger to kick off the 2nd season of the Women's T20 League but it is the reigning champions Mumbai who get over the line on the final delivery and leave Delhi's hearts shattered once again.
In over# 20
6
0W
4
1
2
0W
Alice Capsey 23/2(2)
19.6
6
SIX! OH MY WORD! Sajeevan Sajana, what an announcement. Now, no one, I mean no one is going to forget your name. Alice Capsey got the big fish on the previous delivery, but does it even matter? She did not know what was waiting for her. Sajeevan Sajana steps down the track, gets underneath the bounce and heaves it down the park, towards the long on region. For a second, we all thought the fielder could come into play, but it was only to recover the ball. MUMBAI WIN BY 4 WICKETS!
The debutant, Sajeevan Sajana walks out to bat on the final delivery.
19.5
W
OUT! CAUGHT! Alice Capsey with the prized wicket. This could be the final nail in the coffin but you never knew. 5 runs needed in 1. It is a tossed up delivery, full and on off. Harmanpreet Kaur slogs it into the leg side. The ball goes high but not far enough. Annabel Sutherland completes the catch at long on.
19.4
4
FOUR! Nicely played. It is flighted and full, outside off. Harmanpreet Kaur smacks it through covers and she gets a boundary. 5 needed now off 2 balls and Kaur can end it with one big hit here.
19.3
1
It is full, wide of off. Amanjot Kaur comes across and sweeps it to deep square leg for a single.
19.2
2
Floated and full, outside off. Amanjot Kaur slices it over backward point, although the ball does not have enough legs to reach the fence as Shafali Verma hunts it down. Two runs taken.
Amanjot Kaur is the new batter in.
19.1
W
OUT! CAUGHT! Pooja Vastrakar has to walk back here. She dances down the track and tries to go inside-out for the boundary but ends up finding the fielder. It is a full-delivery wide of off. The ball catches the top-edge and flies into covers. Arundhati Reddy takes the simplest of catches there and the tide turns yet again.
Alice Capsey to bowl the final over. Can she defend 11 runs?