DC Chase Down 165-Run Target on Last Ball Against MI in their WPL 2025 Opener
The Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025 opener saw a thrilling contest between Delhi Capitals (DC) and Mumbai Indians (MI) on Saturday, with DC emerging victorious by a narrow margin. Chasing a target of 165 runs, DC secured their first win of the tournament on the last ball of the match, making it the highest successful chase by the team and the highest any team has chased against MI in the WPL.
The match was played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, with DC winning the toss and opting to bowl first. MI’s openers, Yastika Bhatia and Nat Sciver-Brunt, gave their team a good start, putting on 40 runs in the first six overs. However, DC’s bowling attack, led by Shabnam Sharma, restricted MI’s scoring rate in the middle overs, and the team could only manage 34 runs in the next 10 overs.
In the final six overs, MI’s lower-order batswomen, including Issy Wong and Amelia Kerr, contributed significantly to the team’s total. Kerr’s 26-ball 34 helped MI post a respectable total of 164/8 in their 20 overs. For DC, Shabnam Sharma was the pick of the bowlers, taking 2/23 in her four overs.
Chasing a target of 165 runs, DC’s openers, Shafali Verma and Jemma Jonassen, gave their team a flying start. The pair added 54 runs in the first six overs, with Verma contributing 21 runs in 12 balls. However, MI’s bowling attack, led by Issy Wong, started to make inroads in the middle overs, and DC’s scoring rate slowed down.
Verma, who was looking to make a big impact, fell for 43 in 18 balls, while Jonassen was dismissed for 22 in 22 balls. At that stage, DC were struggling at 84/3, still requiring 81 runs to win. However, the middle-order batswomen, including Jasia Akhtar and Taniya Bhatia, stabilized the innings and took the game deep.
With 12 runs required to win off the last over, Taniya Bhatia and Jess Jonassen took on the responsibility of winning the game. Bhatia hit a four off the first ball, while Jonassen hit a six off the second ball to reduce the target to 4 runs. The duo then took a single off the third ball to make it a two-run requirement.
The fourth ball was a dot ball, and the fifth ball was a single, leaving DC still requiring one run to win. The final ball was bowled by Amelia Kerr, and Bhatia hit a single to take DC to 165/6, securing a thrilling win for the team.
This win not only gave DC their first victory of the WPL 2025 but also made it the highest successful chase by the team in the WPL. The win also ended MI’s winning streak against DC in the WPL, with the team having lost all their previous matches against MI.
For DC, Shafali Verma was the top-scorer with 43 runs in 18 balls, while Jasia Akhtar contributed 24 runs in 16 balls. For MI, Amelia Kerr was the top-scorer with 34 runs in 26 balls, while Yastika Bhatia contributed 27 runs in 24 balls.
The win will give DC a much-needed boost, and they will look to carry this momentum into their next match. MI, on the other hand, will be disappointed with the loss, but they will look to regroup and come back stronger in their next match.
Match Summary:
Delhi Capitals (DC) vs Mumbai Indians (MI), WPL 2025 Opener
MI Innings:
- Yastika Bhatia c Taniya Bhatia b Shabnam Sharma 27
- Nat Sciver-Brunt c Jess Jonassen b Shabnam Sharma 14
- Amelia Kerr c Jasia Akhtar b Jess Jonassen 34
- Issy Wong c Jemma Jonassen b Shabnam Sharma 17
- Harleen Deol c Taniya Bhatia b Jess Jonassen 6
- Hayley Matthews run out 2
- Natalie Sciver c Jasia Akhtar b Jess Jonassen 2
- Amelia Kerr c Jemia Jonassen b Jess Jonassen 6
- Total: 164/8 in 20 overs
DC Innings:
- Shafali Verma c Amelia Kerr b Issy Wong 43
- Jemma Jonassen c Yastika Bhatia b Amelia Kerr 22
- Jasia Akhtar c Hayley Matthews b Amelia Kerr 24
- Taniya Bhatia c Nat Sciver-Brunt b Amelia Kerr 15
- Jess Jonassen not out 7
- Total: 165/6 in 20 overs
