WPL 2024: Sajana smashes last ball six as Mumbai Indians seals dramatic opener vs Delhi Capitals
S. Sajana stole the show with a stunning last-ball six after fifties from skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (55, 34b, 7×4, 1×6) and Yastika Bhatia (57, 45b, 8×4, 2×6) as Mumbai Indians got off to a winning start in the Women’s Premier League with a four-wicket win against Delhi Capitals at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Friday.
Chasing a target of 172, Marizanne Kapp reduced MI to none for one, removing opener Hayley Matthews for a two-ball duck.
However, the defending champion recovered quickly after Yastika and Natalie Sciver-Brunt stabilised the innings taking MI to 50 in the PowerPlay.
AS IT HAPPENED: MI VS DC Highlights
Meg Lanning’s decision to introduce Arundhati Reddy paid off as she confounded Sciver-Brunt with a slower delivery that breached her defence. , breaking a half-century stand for the second wicket.
Harmanpreet and Yastika’s onslaught brought up the team 100 for Mumbai Indians in the 13th over.
A string of wickets put Capitals back in the hunt with 12 needed off the last over. Lanning turned to Alice Capsey to bowl the last over and she struck immediately, dismissing Pooja Vastrakar off the first ball. Harmanpreet reduced the target to five runs from the last two balls. Searching for a boundary, Harmanpreet holed out to Sutherland at long-on. Sajana then sealed a memorable win with a six over long-on.
Earlier in the evening, Shabnim Ismail got MI off to a dream start, conceding a solitary run in the opening over. Capitals could manage only 26 in the PowerPlay, their lowest ever. Along with Saika Ishaque, Ismail cramped openers Lanning and Shafali Verma for room. In her second over, she induced an error from Shafali who tried to play across to a length ball that nipped back, only for the ball to crash into her middle stump.
However, momentum soon Capitals’ way courtesy some clean striking by Lanning and Capsey, who went hard against leg-spinners Amelia Kerr and Keerthana Balakrishnan, taking their side’s score to 65 in 10 overs.
Sciver-Brunt removed a settling Lanning in the 11th over, but Capsey, alongside Jemimah, did not allow Mumbai to dominate play for long.
Capsey dealt in boundaries and brought up her half century with a cut through point. Amelia Kerr eventually caught her plumb leg before in the 18th over while Sciver-Brunt removed Jemimah in the next.
Kapp hit Kerr for three fours in the last over before being stumped on the last ball of the innings, helping Capitals to 171 for five. It looked enough then, but it turned out to be insufficient when Sajana swung her bat.