Mumbai Indians clinched their second Women’s Premier League (WPL) title with a commanding 8-run victory over Delhi Capitals in the finale of the third season. Batting first, Mumbai posted a fighting of 149/6 in 20 overs, led by a scintillating captain’s knock from Harmanpreet Kaur, who played a sensational 66-run innings under pressure. In response, Delhi Capitals struggled to build momentum, losing wickets at crucial junctures. Despite a handful of knocks, DC crumbled under pressure in the chase, falling short of the target as Mumbai’s disciplined bowlers sealed the game.
After the end of proceedings, with a big smile on her face, head coach of the Indians Charlotte Edwards addressed the questions of the press.
It was the second time in the history of the competition that Harmanpreet Kaur bagged her second WPL title. The coach said, “Harmanpreet Kaur wanted to win another title tonight, and she did everything in her power to do that, didn’t she? With the innings she played, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with her. She’s great around the group, she brings out the best in our young players and works brilliantly with all our overseas and experienced players. And I think that’s something that sets us apart. We work as a team, we play as a team, and tonight was a real team performance.”
Mumbai were dealt with early blows and couldn’t capitalise during the first six overs. However, captain Harmanpreet Kaur led the charge and scored a brilliant innings of 66 runs from 44 balls to take her team to a fighting total. On Harmanpreet Kaur’s batting, the head coach said, “No conversations other than, we talk about being aggressive, putting pressure on the bowlers. And, when she’s at her best, she’s the best in the world, as we’ve seen in the last couple of games. But no, she’s been really calm around the group. She’s trained really well. I’m just really pleased. But I think the great thing about our batting lineup is that we don’t rely on just one player. I think Matthews has been exceptional, and that Brunt has been absolutely amazing. And to have that kind of experience around her, I think it really frees her up to play the way that she’s played, certainly in the last week.”
On how Harmanpreet Kaur paced her innings, she said that playing three games at the venue had helped them understand the conditions. They knew they could catch up later in the innings, as the first six overs were always challenging at that ground. There was always something in the pitch, and Harmanpreet read the conditions brilliantly. She knew which bowlers to be aggressive against and played a great innings that set the team up well. She seemed poised for a big finish in the last five overs, and one of her shots was outstanding.
On the importance of having three world-class all-rounders in the form of Hayley Matthews, Nat Sciver-Brunt, and Amelia Kerr, Edwards said that first and foremost, they are just great people to work with. At the start of the whole MI journey, the team focused on overseas all-rounders, and she believes they have three of the absolute best.
One has won the Orange Cap, and two have been neck and neck for the Purple Cap. They have been fundamental to the team’s success over the last three seasons and contribute significantly off the pitch as well. Edwards emphasized that this is what makes the group so special, as they bring out the best in the Indian domestic players. She expressed her delight for all of them, acknowledging their hard work and the challenge of playing four games in six days. She concluded by stating that putting in such a performance under pressure was commendable, and she is really happy for the group.
The coach added that she always felt there was another turn in the game at that point, but Marizanne Kapp played brilliantly. She had won many finals herself, including two against her in The Hundred league, so she was a bit wary. However, when Sciver-Brunt got the ball in her hand, anything could happen at that moment. That was a crucial wicket, caught deep at off. But she still didn’t think the game was won, as every team in the tournament batted deep and could hit sixes until the very end. They knew they were in for a tough couple of overs, but thankfully, they managed to see it through and secure their second WPL title.
Mumbai were sluggish in the initial overs, courtesy of disciplined bowling from Capitals’ Shikha Pandey and Marizanne Kapp. On the conversation during the timeout during the first innings, the coach said, “When I went out at around seven overs, I think for the timeout, I said to Nat Brunt and Harmanpreet Kaur, ‘If we can get ourselves over 100, we’re in with a chance.’ At 150, we knew we were a little bit light, but in a final, it’s always worth a little bit more. But also, I didn’t know if it would affect how Delhi went about it—and it did.
“I mean, Shafali Verma didn’t come out like she normally does, and I knew straight away that potentially we were in with a chance. Because if we could get her wicket and then obviously get wickets consistently through the middle, it was always going to be a tough chase. But so it probably fell in our hands a little bit that we were a bit short, and potentially they went about it a bit slower than they normally do. The opening partnership of Lanning and Shafali Verma has been our curse over the last few years, if I’m honest. So, I was really pleased to see the back of those two early doors.”
On the growth of Amanjot Kaur in season three, Edwards said that she had been absolutely brilliant for them this year. She played some really important roles down the bottom order, particularly in the RCB game, where she won the match for them. She also delivered some crucial spells with the ball and was an amazing fielder, probably one of the best in the competition. Edwards added that Amanjot had a bright future, especially considering she had recently come off an injury and this was her first cricket in a while. She believed the future looked promising for Amanjot Kaur and wouldn’t be surprised if she was in the Indian team very soon.
Melie Kerr bagged the purple cap of season three, with 18 wickets from 10 matches at an average of 15.94. On working with the ICC Women Cricketer of the year Amelia Kerr, Edwards said, “She’s been brilliant. Again, another great signing for us. She’s had an outstanding year—winning a World Cup and now a WPL title. She’s just a great person to work with. She’s only 24, and you think the future is incredibly bright for her. We love having her as part of the MI family.”
In the end, a total of 149 proved to be enough, as Capitals crumbled and fell short by a margin of 8 runs. The Kaur-led side finished second on the points table with 5 wins from 8 games, and hence locked horns with Gujarat Giants in the Eliminator, eventually emerging victorious by 47 runs.
On a stupendous campaign of the Mumbai Indians, she said “I’ve been in India seven weeks now, and we’ve been in camp for seven weeks. To play at all those different venues, to perform the way we have done on different surfaces, and then to come back here to Mumbai and perform the way we have done. And to play four games in six days—it’s been fantastic to see how the players have backed those performances up. And to come out here on the big stage and still give that energy to the performance today— I’m truly proud.”
Loves all things female cricket
