Shafali Varma & Nikki Prasad help Delhi Capitals dazzle past Mumbai Indians in a nail-biting manner as they win the 2nd match of WPL 2025
The 2nd match of the 3rd season of Women's Premier League 2025 (WPL) at the Kotambi Stadium of Vadodara between arch-rivals Mumbai Indians (MI) and Delhi Capitals (DC). This match is considered the El Clasico of the WPL as both are regarded as two of the strongest & dominating teams in the competition's history. This match at the Kotambi Stadium between the Harmanpreet Kaur-led Team & Meg Lanning-led team proved to be a nail-biting and thrilling contest as Delhi ended up emerging victorious, winning by a small margin of 2 wickets in a game that was filled with twists and turns. It was a nail-biting finish but in the end, a photo finish from Arundhati Reddy and the Capitals are off to a winning start.
Shafali Verma's aggressive start with the bat helped DC set the tone of the chase, but her dismissal allowed MI to regain control and get back in the game. However, much to the dismay of the MI fans, two crucial partnership stands, a 33-run stand between Niki Prasad & Alice Capsey for the fifth wicket, followed by a crucial partnership of 31 runs for the sixth wicket between Niki Prasad and Sarah Bryce, helped the two-time runners-up edge closer to tasting success. In the end, it was tailender Arundhati Reddy who held her nerve and scored the winning runs off the final delivery of the contest to seal a nail-biting win for Delhi.
Mumbai's bowling and captaincy, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, left a lot to be desired. Kaur's calculations went awry, as she was unable to utilize Saika Ishaque's remaining over, having already bowled the 19th. The Mumbai bowlers did manage to pick up some wickets, with Amelia Kerr and Hayley Matthews claiming two each, while Shabnim Ismail, Natalie Sciver-Brunt, and Sajana S took one apiece.
In the first inning of this encounter, the Mumbai-based team opted to have a first t and posted a reasonable score of 164 runs thanks to a well made & excellent knock of 80 runs from Natalie Sciver-Brunt while Harmanpreet Kaur also played a good hand with her aggressive inning of 42 runs as the rest of the MI batters failed to contribute. The trio of Shikha Pandey (2-14), Annabel Sutherland (3-34), and Minnu Mani (1-23) were the standout bowlers for the Delhi side.
But in the end, the batting might of the two-time runners-up proved too much for the MI bowling unit to handle and Meg Lanning & CO eventually ran away with two well-deserved points. With this winning start, Delhi has occupied the 2nd spot in the overall standings while the 2023 winners have dropped down to the 3rd place after failing to secure a win in their opening match.
Do Read: WPL 2025 Schedule, Teams and Fixture, Venues and Points Table | Women's Premier League 2025