Brabourne turns blue as Mumbai Indians seal the deal with second WPL title

Mumbai Indians (MI) stamped their authority at the Brabourne Stadium on Saturday with a commanding all-round display, clinching their second Women`s Premier League (WPL) title. In doing so, they solidified their reputation as the league’s most dominant force while also sweeping all major individual awards.

Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur played a pivotal role, delivering a crucial knock under pressure before MI’s all-rounders, Nat-Sciver Brunt and Amelia Kerr, orchestrated a disciplined bowling performance. Their efforts powered MI to a thrilling eight-run victory over a resilient Delhi Capitals (DC), who suffered their third consecutive heartbreak in the WPL final.

A gritty fightback with the bat

Opting to bowl first, DC put MI on the back foot early, reducing them to 14/2 within the first 4.3 overs. However, a game-changing 89-run partnership between Harmanpreet (66 off 44 balls, nine fours, two sixes) and Nat-Sciver (30 off 28 balls, four boundaries) stabilized MI’s innings, pushing them past the 100-run mark. Late contributions from G Kamalini (10) and Amanjot Kaur (14*), ensured MI reached a competitive total of 149/7 in 20 overs.

For DC, Marizanne Kapp (2/11 in four overs) delivered a stellar spell, dismantling MI’s opening pair of Yastika Bhatia and Hayley Matthews. Jess Jonassen (2/26) and Shree Charani (2/43) also made vital breakthroughs.

DC’s stuttering chase falls short

Chasing 150, DC struggled to build momentum, regularly losing wickets and slumping to 83/6 in 12.5 overs. Openers Meg Lanning (13) and Shafali Verma (4) failed to fire, while Jemimah Rodrigues (30 off 21 balls, four boundaries) attempted to anchor the innings.

A spirited 40-run stand between Kapp (40 off 26 balls, five fours, two sixes) and Niki Prasad (25* off 23 balls, one four, one six) gave DC a glimmer of hope. However, as wickets tumbled at the other end, Prasad found herself stranded, with DC falling short at 141/9 in 20 overs.

Nat-Sciver (3/30) and Amelia Kerr (2/25) were the standout performers with the ball for MI, ensuring their side defended the target successfully.

Individual brilliance and award sweep

Harmanpreet was named ‘Player of the Match’ for her decisive half-century. She ended her campaign with 302 runs in 10 matches, averaging 33.55 with a strike rate of over 154, including three half-centuries.

Nat-Sciver emerged as the tournament’s standout performer, clinching the ‘Player of the Tournament’ award with 523 runs in 10 innings at a remarkable average of 65.37 and a strike rate exceeding 152. Her highest score was an unbeaten 80, and she secured the Orange Cap as the leading run-scorer.

With the ball, she also made her mark, claiming 12 wickets at an average of 22.50, with best figures of 3/18, making her the joint third-highest wicket-taker. The Purple Cap for most wickets went to Amelia Kerr, who scalped 18 wickets in 10 matches at an average of 15.94, with a best performance of 5/38.

With this triumph, MI have further cemented their legacy as WPL’s most formidable team, combining star power with match-winning performances to reign supreme once again.

(With ANI inputs)