The Women’s Premier League (WPL) final, being held at Brabourne Stadium on Sunday, appears to be a one-sided contest. The Delhi Capitals, who qualified directly for the final after finishing at the top of the table, have struggled against the Mumbai Indians in the first half of the match.
At the time of writing, they were struggling at 79/7 in 15.1 overs, showing little fight. After opting to bat first, the Capitals lost wickets at regular intervals, with skipper Meg Lanning receiving minimal support from her teammates.
Lanning, who celebrated her 31st birthday on the day of the final, was the only batswoman who posed a threat to the Mumbai Indians until she was involved in a regrettable miscommunication with fellow Australian, Jess Jonassen.
In the 12th over, Jonassen punched a delivery from Hayley Matthews to the cover area and called for a single, despite there being no run available. Lanning, realizing there was no possibility of a single, still attempted to complete it, resulting in her being run out by a precise throw from Amanjot Kaur to wicket-keeper Yastika Bhatia.
Jonassen was left disappointed and could not bring herself to look at the captain of their national team, while Lanning, known for her fierce competitiveness, covered her mouth in frustration as she walked off the field after scoring 35 runs off 29 deliveries.