WPL 2024: Smriti’s heroics in vain as Kapp, Jonassen help Delhi beat Bangalore by 25 runs

Delhi Capitals rode on Shafali Verma’s (50, 31b, 3×4, 4×6) half-century and Jess Jonassen’s (three for 21 and 36, 16b, 4×4, 2×6) impressive all-round show to beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 25 runs here at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday.

Chasing 195, RCB skipper Smriti Mandhana put on a show in front of a packed crowd in an uphill task. She took the Royal Challengers past 50 inside PowerPlay single-handedly and brought up her maiden WPL fifty off 32 deliveries in the eighth over.

Opener Sophie Devine fell off to Arundhati Reddy before Marizanne Kapp removed the dangerous Smriti, cleaning her up in the 12th over, putting a massive dent in RCB’s hope.

RCB-W vs DC-W Highlights WPL 2024

Although S. Meghana and Richa Ghosh scored valuable runs down the order, the Royal Challengers fell like a pack of cards.

Arundhati sent Meghana packing, and Nadine de Klerk was run out in the 19th over before Jonassen picked up three scalps in the last over to restrict RCB to 169 for nine, wrapping up a brilliant outing.

Earlier, a collective batting effort helped DC notch up 194 for five after being put in to bat.

An 82-run stand between Shafali and Alice Capsey (46, 33b, 4×4, 2×6) for the second wicket, where both batters struck boundaries at will, took the Capitals past 100 in 12 overs. Shafali fell to Shreyanka Patil after reaching fifty.

RCB pulled things back with two quick wickets as de Klerk removed Jemimah Rodrigues on a duck before dismissing Capsey to deny her a fifty.

Kapp (32 off 16) and Jonassen added 48 off 22 for the fifth wicket, providing DC with a late flourish.

Jonassen clobbered Shreyanka for a four and a six in the last over, helping the Capitals set a formidable target that was enough to stop the Royal Challengers juggernaut.