Photo: Collected-
Metropolis Desk-
The Mumbai Indians won the first Women’s Premier League (WPL) after beating Delhi Capitals by seven wickets on Sunday at the Wankhede Stadium thanks to Nat Sciver-unbeaten Brunt’s 60.
After winning the toss, Delhi captain Meg Lanning decided to bat. The Australia captain led her team in scoring with 35 runs, and the Capitals managed a respectable 131-9.
After falling to 79-9, even that total seemed unlikely, but Shikha Pandey and Radha Yadav stroked unbeaten effortless 27s to give Delhi’s bowlers something to contend with.
Mumbai lost both of their openers quickly, but their captain Harmanpreet Kaur (37), and England all-rounder Sciver-Brunt set their team on track for victory with a 72-run stand.
Along with Ashleigh Gardner of Australia, Sciver-Brunt was the most expensive foreign player in the league when she joined. Her paddle shot to the boundary in the final over gave her team the victory.
Charlotte Edwards, a Mumbai coach and a former England captain, responded, “Over the moon. Winning this is one of my greatest professional accomplishments.”
The five-team event, which offers substantial contracts to draw the top players, has been hailed as a “game-changer” in women’s cricket.
The WPL alone brought in $690 million from the sale of its franchises and media rights, and the organizing Indian cricket board secured an impressive roster of sponsors for the 22-match competition.
