With the help of Shefali Verma and Meg Lanning, Delhi Capitals started their campaign by defeating Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by 60 runs at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday (March 5). Shafali and Lanning started with a bang in the Women's Premier League. Both shared a 162-run partnership for the first wicket. Delhi got the invitation to batting first and scored 223 runs for two wickets against RCB. In response, RCB's team could only manage 163 runs for eight wickets in 20 overs.
Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi Capitals
Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi Capitals - Photo: BCCI
Tara Norris of America took five wickets for 29 runs for Delhi Capitals. No RCB batsman ran in front of her. Apart from captain Smriti Mandhana's 35, Heather Knight scored 34 and Meghan Shutt scored 30 runs. At one stage, the team had lost seven wickets for 96 runs in the 14th over, but Heather Knight and Megan Schutt reduced the margin of RCB's defeat by sharing a 54-run partnership for the eighth wicket.
Shefali Verma and Meg Lanning
Shefali Verma and Meg Lanning - Photo: WPL
Shefali and Lanning did stormy batting
Earlier, Delhi Capitals' 19-year-old aggressive batsman Shefali hit ten fours and four sixes in her 45-ball innings. He played an inning of 84 runs. Captain Lanning, who won the ICC T20 World Cup to Australia, hit 14 fours in his 43-ball innings. Lanning scored 72 runs.
Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi Capitals
Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi Capitals - Photo: WPL
Heather Knight dismisses Lanning and Shefali
RCB got their first wicket in the 15th over at the batting-friendly Brabourne Stadium when England skipper Heather Knight dismissed opposition skipper Lanning with her spin and Richa Ghosh took a good catch of Shefali behind the wicket inside a ball. However, by then it was too late. Lanning and Shafali added 162 runs in 87 balls to lay the foundation for a score of more than 200. After that Marijan Kapp and Jemimah Rodríguez shared an unbroken 59-run partnership. Cap scored 39 not out off 17 balls and Jemima scored 22 not out off 15 balls.
Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi Capitals
Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi Capitals - Photo: WPL
Mandhana tried seven bowlers
Shafali, who led India to the U-19 World Cup title under her captaincy, took the good news of bad balls. She completed her half-century off 31 balls, taking a single off Megan Schutt. Lanning completed his half-century off 30 balls by hitting a four off Knight's ball. Delhi Capitals hit 12 fours in the powerplay. The team had crossed the 100-run mark in ten overs. In the first match of her captaincy in the Women's Premier League, RCB captain Smriti Mandhana tried seven bowlers. Mandhana had decided to bowl first after winning the toss.
