Vadodara, Jan 20
Mumbai Indians skipper Harmanpreet Kaur admitted that her side was 20 runs short after slumping to their third straight defeat as Delhi Capitals thrashed them by seven wickets in Vadodara. Kaur pointed to continued Power-play execution issues with both bat and ball as a key factor in their defeat.
Delhi built a strong foundation with the ball, led by an impressive performance from Marizanne Kapp. 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 during the Power-play, with Sajana (9) and Hayley Matthews (12) getting out early.
"Yeah, I think we were about 20 runs short with the bat. Even in the Powerplay, we weren't able to execute properly - both with bat and ball, and that's been a concern for us throughout this tournament. We really need to push ourselves more in that phase of the game," said Harmanpreet after the match.
"The Power-play has been tricky for us, especially because we've had to keep changing our opening combinations due to injuries. At the start of the tournament, a few players weren't available, and now Kamalini's injury has forced another change. That has affected our stability at the top, but it's not an excuse -whoever goes out to open has to take responsibility and bat positively for the team."
For Mumbai, WPL debutant Vaishnavi Sharma was a bright spot in the field, finishing with figures of 1 for 20. Harmanpreet heaped praise on debutant Vaishnavi Sharma, calling her spell a turning point after she removed Shafali Verma and showed control despite the difficult Power-play.
"On debut, Vaishnavi was really impressive, especially after a difficult Power-play for our bowlers. When she came in and got Shafali's wicket, that was a big turning point. She showed great control and skill, and as a bowling unit, we need to learn from the areas she bowled today," he said.
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.
The MI captain said injuries and frequent changes to the opening pair have disrupted stability at the top, but stressed that responsibility and positive intent remain non-negotiable for whoever opens.
"We've played good cricket in the last three seasons, and we're still working really hard this year. Injuries have made things tougher, but the next two games are very important, and we'll go in with a positive mindset and 100 percent effort."
- IANS
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