Jemimah Rodrigues' 51* steers Delhi Capitals to crucial WPL win over Mumbai Indians

The chase for a modest 155 almost stumbled midway, but Rodrigues made sure there was no late drama. Instead of relying on brute force, she focused on right placement and consistent running between the wickets to guide Delhi to victory with six balls left. She demonstrated her leadership when it mattered most.

Earlier, Delhi built a strong foundation with the ball, led by an impressive performance from Marizanne Kapp, who called the pitch "not a nice wicket to bowl on." Kapp was exceptional at the start, bowling 16 dot balls. She gave away just eight runs in her four overs and did not allow a single boundary. Her control, alongside Nandani Sharma, left Mumbai struggling at 23/2 in the Power-play, with Sajana (9) and Hayley Matthews (12) getting out early.

Nonetheless, the Mumbai team was able to create stability through their known strengths. Nat Sciver-Brunt showed her loyalty once again by being a key part of the Mumbai innings with an unbeaten 65 runs from 45 deliveries, while the captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, provided a solid performance with a score of 41.

At the first break of the match, the Mumbai team was at a poor position of 47 for 2 wickets after nine overs, with Sciver-Brunt with eight runs and Kaur on 18. Both players continued to build on their partnership. Going into the 3rd wicket stage, the pair had added 78 runs for Mumbai and reached 100 runs after 13.6 overs, with Sciver-Brunt scoring her 11th half-century in this league with a 34-ball inning.

Her half-century tied her with Meg Lanning for the record for most half-centuries scored in the multi-day competition. At the end of the innings, Harmanpreet Kaur was 41 runs out, falling victim to Sree Charani, and Sciver Brunt continued through the remainder of the innings, allowing Mumbai to finish at 154 runs for 5 wickets (154/5), thanks to 42 runs in the last 5 overs, as well as a six hit off the final ball of the innings.

On the bowling side for Delhi, Sree Charani stood out. She took 3 wickets for 33 runs, including two wickets in the 18th over, to help keep the Mumbai team to a low score. Kapp provided assistance with a 1-wicket for 8 runs effort to keep the Mumbai total to below expectations.

In response, Delhi received a perfect start from their opening pair, Shafali Verma and Lizzy Lee, who quickly put pressure back on MI.

Lee appeared confident and fluent before succumbing to a tough umpiring decision. Shafali couldn't turn her good start into a big score. A surprising dismissal for Laura Wolvaardt added to the tension, and past missteps may have troubled Capitals fans.

That was when Rodrigues stepped up. Whether motivated by Amanjot Kaur throwing the ball at her without reason or simply fuelled by focus, the skipper delivered a captain's innings marked by smart placement and relentless energy between the wickets. She led the chase clearly, ensuring Delhi maintained control and guided her team to victory with calm confidence.

For Mumbai, WPL debutant Vaishnavi Sharma was a bright spot in the field, finishing with figures of 1 for 20. They may need to keep an eye on Nicola Carey's extended absence from the field during the chase as they move forward.

Brief scores:

Mumbai Indians Women 154/5 in 20 overs (Nat Sciver-Brunt 65 not out, Harmanpreet Kaur 41; Shree Charani 3-33, Marizanne Kapp 1-8) lost to Delhi Capitals 155/3 in 19 overs (Jemimah Rodrigues 51, Lizelle Lee 46; Vaishnavi Sharma 1-20, Amanjot Kaur 1-21) by seven wickets.

- IANS