Harman special carries Mumbai Indians to second league crown

Delhi Capitals end runners-up for the third time after batting caves in, losing the WPL final by 8 runs in Mumbai

- Rutvick Mehta

MUMBAI: When Harmanpreet Kaur has a good day, Mumbai Indians usually win matches. When Harmanpreet Kaur has a good season, Mumbai Indians usually win the tournament.

Both of that held true on Saturday as MI captured their second Women's Premier League (WPL) title, beating Delhi Capitals by eight runs in a repeat of the 2023 final and outcome at the Brabourne Stadium on Saturday.

Harmanpreet's 44-ball 66 stood head and shoulders above the rest in MI's total of 149/7 on the big day. Harmanpreet's season tally of 302 runs striking at 155—the highest among the top five run scorers—was as invaluable in the champion team filled with champion all-rounders. Nat Sciver-Brunt, the tournament's highest scorer who took three wickets in the final, being among the standouts.

As Sciver-Brunt defended 14 off the last over, MI players scurried into a huddle. DC had lost a third straight final, twice to the same team.

Even if slightly under par, MI had runs on the board and for them to have a shot at defending it, disrupting DC's on-song opening combo was the key. Enter Sciver-Brunt with the ball. The Englishwoman cleaned up Meg Lanning with a cutter that nipped back sharply. Shafali Verma perished in the next over, playing across the line to a full Shabnim Ismail delivery to be trapped in front.