Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 16 : Mumbai Indians captain Harmanpreet Kaur delivered a match-winning performance in the Women's Premier League (WPL) final, guiding her team to victory with a crucial 66 off 44 balls.
Reflecting on the victory, Harmanpreet credited the entire team for their collective effort.
"It is a great team effort. Congrats to Delhi for the way they played; it was not easy for us. When you win, you are really happy. We didn't start well, but being there and doing the right things was important," she said at the presentation party.
She acknowledged the initial struggles when she came to bat but remained confident in her approach, especially with Sciver-Brunt at the other end.
"It wasn't easy when I went to bat. I had the belief that if I could rotate the strike, when Nat is there, I don't need to take too much pressure. She was in great touch and was doing it for the team. We tried to keep it simple and easy; we took calculated risks, and that helped us in the partnership," she added.
The Mumbai skipper also praised her bowlers, who played a crucial role in restricting Delhi.
"150 was not a decent total for DC, but in pressure games, it always looks like 180. Credit goes to our bowlers, who gave us breakthroughs in the powerplay. Ismail and, at the other end, Nat--really happy with the way the team bowled today," she said.
Mumbai's tactical approach played a key role in their success, with the team emphasizing clear roles for each player.
"We had really good meetings, one-to-one meetings. We knew we have four experienced bowlers, and in T20, four overs are really important. Today, Saika was there; she bowled those crucial three overs, before that Amanjot, and in between, Sanskriti. They knew their roles, and I'm really happy, and I enjoy playing with them," Harmanpreet explained.
Having fallen short in the previous season, Mumbai made sure to learn from their mistakes and approach the final with a clear mindset.
"It means a lot. In the first season, we tried to do everything right. When we met, we discussed how things did not go right last season. We tried to keep things as simple as possible, and as a team, we did that. We got great support from the support staff, and I'm really happy with how we played as a team," she concluded.
The Mumbai Indians secured their second Women's Premier League (WPL) title after defeating the Delhi Capitals by 8 runs in a thrilling final at Mumbai on Saturday. Harmanpreet Kaur's team successfully defended a target of 150, denying Delhi their maiden championship yet again.
Despite a valiant effort from Niki Prasad, who remained unbeaten on 25, Delhi Capitals fell short in their chase, losing their third consecutive WPL final.
Chasing 150, Delhi Capitals had a shaky start. Skipper Meg Lanning fell early for 13, followed by Shafali Verma, who managed just 4. The team struggled to build momentum as Jess Jonassen (13) and Annabel Sutherland (2) were dismissed, leaving them at 37/3.
Jemimah Rodrigues played a crucial knock, scoring 30, but was caught and bowled by Amelia Kerr, reducing Delhi to 66/5. The situation worsened as Sarah Bryce (5) was run out, leaving them at 83/6 in 12.5 overs.
A brief fightback came from Marizanne Kapp (40) and Niki Prasad, who stitched together a 40-run partnership, but Kapp's dismissal to Nat Sciver-Brunt ended Delhi's hopes. The tail could not provide much resistance as Shikha Pandey (0) and Minnu Mani (4) departed quickly, sealing Mumbai's victory.
Nat Sciver-Brunt was the standout performer with the ball, picking up 3/30, while Amelia Kerr (2/25) played a crucial role in the middle overs. Hayley Matthews, Shabnim Ismail, and Saika Ishaque contributed with a wicket each to ensure Mumbai's successful title defense. The Capitals were stranded for 141/9.
With this victory, Mumbai Indians reaffirmed their dominance in the Women's Premier League, while Delhi Capitals were left heartbroken yet again, falling short in the final for the third consecutive season.