Jemimah Rodrigues rose to the occasion with a composed and gritty half-century to steer Delhi Capitals to a crucial seven-wicket win over Mumbai Indians in a tense Women’s Premier League encounter on Tuesday.
Chasing 155 on a sluggish surface, Delhi Capitals were well set early thanks to positive starts from Lizelle Lee (46 off 28) and Shafali Verma (29 off 24). However, a middle-overs slowdown threatened to derail the chase before Jemimah took charge, anchoring the innings with an unbeaten 51 off 37 balls to guide her side home in 19 overs.
Veteran all-rounder Marizanne Kapp (10 not out off 6) provided calm support at the other end and sealed the victory in style with a six.
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Earlier, Mumbai Indians struggled once again in the powerplay after being asked to bat. Openers Hayley Matthews and Sajeevan Sajana departed cheaply, continuing MI’s woes at the top. Nat Sciver-Brunt, however, stood tall amid the collapse, producing another fluent knock of 66 not out off 45 balls, laced with six fours and two sixes. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur chipped in with a steady 41 off 33 to push MI to a fighting total of 154 for 5.
For Delhi, Kapp delivered a masterclass with the ball, conceding just eight runs in her four overs and removing Matthews. Despite Sciver-Brunt’s third fifty-plus score of the season, Mumbai’s batting lacked support once again.
Delhi’s chase had its hiccups, including Shafali being bowled attempting a sweep and Lee adjudged stumped after briefly losing balance. Jemimah’s calm presence, though, ensured there were no further scares.
The win marked Delhi Capitals’ second victory in five matches, while Mumbai Indians slipped to their fourth loss in six games. Reflecting on the defeat, MI skipper Harmanpreet admitted the side needs to improve in the powerplay with both bat and ball.
This was only the second match at the venue this season, with conditions proving tougher for batters compared to the high-scoring games seen in Navi Mumbai.
(By PTI Inputs)
