March 16, 2025: Following Delhi Capitals’ heartbreaking loss in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) final against Mumbai Indians, the franchise’s head coach Jonathan Batty reflected on the defeat, stating that his side lost the game on the final two balls of the match. Despite the loss, Batty praised his team’s efforts and especially highlighted the leadership of skipper Meg Lanning.
It was a hat-trick of heartbreaks for Delhi as they suffered an eight-run loss to Mumbai Indians in the WPL 2025 final at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday. This marked their third consecutive final loss.
In a thrilling encounter, Mumbai set a target of 150 after posting 149/7 in 20 overs. Delhi was restricted to 141/9 in 20 overs, despite a valiant effort from their top-order. Marizanne Kapp, Jess Jonassen, and N Charani were key with the ball for Mumbai, taking two wickets each to keep the chase in check.
Reflecting on the narrow loss, Batty said, “We have had three great seasons finishing at the top of the table. We have played some exceptional cricket, but everyone is hurt right now. 99 percent of the time, you back yourself to chase 150 on that wicket, but full credit to Mumbai for the way they bowled and executed their plans.”
He added, “It was such a tight game to lose by just eight runs, which is effectively two boundaries. We lost by two balls in the end. It could have gone either way. There is always a winner and a loser, and unfortunately, we ended up on the losing side for the third time.”
Mumbai’s innings was anchored by a crucial 89-run partnership between captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who struck 66 off 44 balls, and Nat Sciver-Brunt, who contributed 30 off 28 balls. Their solid efforts helped Mumbai set a defendable total.
Batty acknowledged the brilliance of Mumbai’s star players, particularly Sciver-Brunt, who delivered an exceptional campaign, amassing 523 runs in 10 innings and winning the ‘Player of the Tournament’ award. He said, “Nat Sciver-Brunt had an outstanding tournament, scoring over 500 runs, and Harmanpreet was fantastic. Her innings made the difference between the two teams today.”
Although disappointed with the result, Batty also had high praise for Delhi Capitals’ skipper Meg Lanning, noting her leadership throughout the season. “She has been brilliant. Meg has thrived in the captaincy role, leading this wonderful group of players so well for three years. She’s played exceptionally at times throughout the tournament,” he concluded.
Though the loss was tough, Delhi Capitals will look to regroup and come back stronger next season.