WPL 2023: DC-W vs MI-W: Delhi humble high-flying Mumbai as playoffs loom, beat them by 9 wickets

Thrashing would be an understatement here, as what Delhi Capitals did to Mumbai Indians on Monday night is much more than that. Mumbai Indians, who didn’t lose a game until last week, have suffered two losses now as the WPL 2023 playoffs loom. In the clash of the titans, Delhi peaked at the right time as they beat Mumbai Indians by nine wickets at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

Electing to bowl first after winning the toss, Delhi choked Mumbai with three quick wickets inside the first three overs. Mumbai’s second-highest run-getter Hayley Matthews alongside England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt were among the early scalps.

While Mumbai’s batting star and the captain Harmanpreet Kaur stood her ground on one end, she watched Amelia Kerr depart early too. With Mumbai reeling at 21 for four at one stage, the road ahead looked tough for them.

The Indian pair of Harmanpreet and Pooja Vastrakar played some shots, finding gaps at will; the spirited Delhi side took no time in pulling their momentum back with a breakthrough through Jess Jonassen. Following Harman’s wicket, Delhi restricted Mumbai to 109 for eight inside 20 overs.

Marizanne Kapp, Shikha Pandey and Jonassen all picked two wickets each.

The chase was like a walk in the park for the Delhi side, whose dashing opening pair of Meg Lanning and India’s Shafali Verma unleashed the attack from the word go. The aggressor among the two, Verma, slashed some of the most-good-looking shots of the match before she departed on a 15-ball 33, hitting one six and four fours.

Alice Capsey then joined the leading-run-scorer of the tournament, Meg Lanning out in the middle. While Lanning went about her business in her usual way, Capsey went berserk, smashing five sixes and a four in her quickfire 38-run knock from 17 balls. More so that Delhi chased down the target in nine overs, and with this massive win, they have now gone ahead of Mumbai Indians on the points table on Net Run Rate.

While Mumbai will now face Royal Challengers Bangalore in their final group game on Tuesday in the first match, Delhi will take on UP Warriorz in their last league match later in the evening.

All three of Mumbai, Delhi and UP have qualified for the playoffs.