Edition

English

News
Sports News
Cricket News
WPL News
MI vs DC Highlights, WPL 2023 Final: Nat Sciver-Brunt stars as Mumbai Indians beat Delhi Capitals to win inaugural Women's Premier League title

THE TIMES OF INDIA | Mar 27, 2023, 18:14:46 IST

Comments

MI vs DC Highlights, WPL 2023 Final: Nat Sciver-Brunt stars as Mumbai Indians beat Delhi Capitals to win inaugural Women's Premier League title

Mumbai Indians beat Delhi Capitals by seven wickets in the final to lift the inaugural Women's Premier League trophy on Sunday. MI first restricted DC to 131 for 9 and then returned to overhaul the target with three balls to spare. Nat Sciver-Brunt smashed an unbeaten 55-ball 60, while skipper Harmanpreet Kaur made a 39-ball 37 as MI reached 134 for 3 in 19.3 overs.

18:39 (IST) Mar 26

Pitch Report

The weather looks perfect, the square boundaries are shorter as compared to the straighter one. The bowlers can get some seam movement on this wicket, they need to drag their lengths in order to trouble the batters and nick them off. Spinners have picked more wickets at this venue as compared to the pacers. But looking at today's wicket, even the pacers have something in it for them.

18:38 (IST) Mar 26

They have the best combination in the whole tournament and they also did well against us in the last game. We know what they can do and how dangerous they can be. We have our plans and hopefully we are able to execute them.

Mumbai Indians captain Harmanpreet Kaur

18:37 (IST) Mar 26

Mumbai Indians captain Harmanpreet Kaur acknowledged that in Lanning and Shafali, Delhi have a strong opening combination but added that her side have plans against them in place.

18:34 (IST) Mar 26

Both Mumbai and Delhi have been consistent throughout the tournament. We have had two good contests. I am looking forward to taking on a really good team, they played some really good cricket last night. We know how dangerous they can be, they have got some great players. It is a massive challenge for Delhi, but we are confident as well. We come in having been pushed in a few games which is important, we have not had things going our way and that prepares us really nicely. (It is) a high pressure game tomorrow night and we just got to play our best cricket.

Delhi Capitals skipper Meg Lanning

18:32 (IST) Mar 26

Meg Lanning's Delhi Capitals may have been the first team to enter the WPL final but the summit clash against Mumbai Indians will be a "massive challenge", a game in which she wants dashing batter Shafali Verma to come in with a clear mind.

18:30 (IST) Mar 26

Delhi vs Mumbai

18:20 (IST) Mar 26

While Delhi will once again back overseas stars to come good, their hopes will also be pinned on Indian stars Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Shikha Pandey and Radha Yadav.

18:18 (IST) Mar 26

Delhi have had their share of highs and lows but Lanning's captaincy, combined with an incredible all-round show from Marizanne Kapp (159 runs, 9 wickets in eight matches), has been the highlight for them. Alice Capsey's power-hitting in the middle overs can also make a strong dent.

18:14 (IST) Mar 26

Mumbai Indians cannot wish away the Australia captain, the WPL's top-scorer with 310 runs (average 51.66), including two half centuries.

18:08 (IST) Mar 26

Lanning though would like to add the inaugural WPL trophy to her cabinet after winning the T20 World Cup in South Africa recently for a record-extending fifth time.

18:02 (IST) Mar 26

MI's bowling might

With two more wickets, Mumbai's Saika Ishaque (15) could finish as the WPL's highest wicket-taker ahead of UPW's Sophie Ecclestone (16). With the likes of Isabelle Wong (13 wickets) and Amelia Kerr (12) in their ranks, Mumbai Indians will hope for another good outing with the ball.

17:56 (IST) Mar 26

Another Mumbai Indians allrounder Hayley Matthews (258 runs, 13 wickets in nine matches) has blown hot and cold of late but remains a vital cog in the team's line-up, while Yastika Bhatia will look to take a fearless approach with the bat again.

17:50 (IST) Mar 26

Nat Sciver-Brunt: MI's star in WPL

With the third-highest number of runs (272), two half centuries, an enviable average of 54.40 and 10 wickets in nine games, Nat Sciver is one of the best all-rounders on show here. The England cricketer has, time and again, given commanding performances, and it will be hard for Delhi Capitals to stop the devastating batter in the summit clash. Nat Sciver has been most destructive with the bat in the last five overs in WPL, something that the UP Warriorz found out on Friday night when she helped MI add 66 runs in the final five overs.

17:46 (IST) Mar 26

With Harmanpreet's form a concern, Nat Sciver could step up and play another of her mesmerising knocks, which saw her clobber UP Warriorz bowlers all around the park in the Eliminator on Friday.

17:36 (IST) Mar 26

Going by their record at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai Indians have the upper hand, having won all three games so far, while Delhi have two wins and a loss at the venue.

17:31 (IST) Mar 26

Mumbai Indians stamped their authority first by thrashing Delhi Capitals by nine-wicket, but the latter returned the favour, scoring an identical win.

17:23 (IST) Mar 26

Delhi and Mumbai have recorded heavy wins against each other in the group stage and finished with identical 12 points, with only the net run rate separating them at the top of the table.

17:18 (IST) Mar 26

Still, it would be futile to pick the favourite as both teams have been ruthless, clinical, dominant -- and unsuccessful -- at various stages in the tournament.

17:13 (IST) Mar 26

Australian stalwart Meg Lanning though could exploit Harmanpreet's poor run with the bat to go all out even though Delhi Capitals will be playing in front of a partisan crowd at the Brabourne Stadium.

17:13 (IST) Mar 26

With Harmanpreet managing just 14 runs in the Eliminator, things could have gone downhill for the Mumbai franchise, but luckily Nat Sciver made the most of the dropped catch to make a mockery of the Warriorz bowling.

17:12 (IST) Mar 26

After three half centuries earlier on in the tournament, form has deserted the India skipper, and, had it not been for Nat Sciver-Brunt's unbeaten 72 in the Eliminator against UP Warriorz on Friday, the script of the tournament could have been different.

17:12 (IST) Mar 26

Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur's form is a huge concern as Mumbai Indians look to cap their superb Women's Premier League season (WPL) by defeating Meg Lanning's Delhi Capitals in the final of the inaugural edition of the tournament today.

17:11 (IST) Mar 26

Hello and welcome to the live coverage of the first ever Women's Premier League final between Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians at Brabourne stadium in Mumbai.

TOI

MI vs DC Highlights, WPL 2023 Final: Nat Sciver-Brunt stars as Mumbai Indians beat Delhi Capitals to win inaugural Women's Premier League title

Mumbai Indians captain Harmanpreet Kaur

Delhi Capitals skipper Meg Lanning

Match Statistics

Venue

Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai

DC PLAYING XI

MI PLAYING XI

Top Stories Right Now