In a thrilling clash between defending champions Mumbai Indians led by skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and the formidable Delhi Capitals captained by Meg Lanning, the action was intense from the first ball. Where Yastika Bhatia was the first left-handed batter to score fifty in WPL and Sajana Sajeevan finished the game with six.
Opting to field first after winning the toss, Mumbai Indians struck early with Shabnim Ismail dismissing Shafali Verma. Despite resilient batting from Alice Capsey and Meg Lanning, Mumbai Indians’ Nat Sciver Brunt and others managed crucial breakthroughs, restricting Delhi Capitals to a challenging total of 171/5, led by Casey’s brilliant 75.
In response, Mumbai Indians faced early setbacks but recovered brilliantly with contributions from Yastika Bhatia, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Amelia Kerr. Despite a valiant effort from Delhi Capital bowlers, Mumbai Indians chased down the target with four wickets in hand. Harmanpreet Kaur’s stellar knock earned her the Player of the Match award as Mumbai Indians began their title defense with a thrilling victory over Delhi.
Post-match, Mumbai Indians wicket-keeper batter Yastika Bhatia and Delhi Capitals head coach Jonathan Batty addressed a press conference at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.
Yastika’s mindset portrays the essence of focused determination and continual growth with her statement. She highlights a strong commitment to staying present in the moment, emphasizing the importance of process over outcome.
Her love for batting in the powerplay underlines her confidence and ability to perform under pressure, making the most of the limited fielding restrictions. Bhatia’s dedication to self-improvement shines through as she humbly expresses her daily pursuit of getting better. She prioritized the journey of improvement over the allure of grand tournaments like the World Cup.
Yastika Bhatia embodies a composed mindset for long-term success both personally and for her team. She stated, “I was just playing the ball. I knew if I focused on the process, that thing would be taken care of. I usually love playing in the power play because there are only two fielders outside. I enjoyed my time out there. I try and improve every day. I don’t think too much about the World Cup or anything. As an Indian team, we all are in a stage where we want to improve each day.”
Further Yastika Bhatia praised Sanjeevan Sajana, highlighting her importance in the team to Mumbai Indians’ former star player and batting coach, Kieron Pollard in the men’s team. Bhatia emphasized the team’s trust in Sajana’s abilities and applauded her excellent performance.
This comparison highlights Sajana’s crucial role and the team’s reliance on her, to deliver results much like Pollard’s impact on the men’s team. Kieron Pollard has led his team to victory many times with his short finishing cameos. Similarly, in the opening game, Sajana played a crucial role as a finisher and got a last-ball sixer win for her team.
She said, “Our team shows faith in her and she is like the Kieron Pollard of our women’s team. She did it really well today. Credit to her.”
Jonathan Batty, the head coach of the Delhi Capitals’ remarks a sentiment of appreciation for the exciting opener game between the Mumbai Indians and the Delhi Capitals in the WPL. Describing it as an outstanding game of cricket, where it was a last-ball victory for Mumbai Indians’ with Sajana taking the game from the Capitals.
Batty acknowledges the high quality of play that could be seen in the match. He commends both teams for showcasing excellent cricket skills and strategies throughout the game. Batty’s words convey a sense of satisfaction with the level of competition and entertainment provided by the match, setting a promising tone for the WPL tournament and underlining the caliber of cricket expected in the forthcoming matches.
He mentioned, “I think it was an outstanding game of cricket to launch the WPL. I thought both sides played some really, good cricket within that.”