Former India captain Mithali Raj commended the Delhi Capitals for their recent victory against the Mumbai Inddigihunt, emphasizing skipper Jemimah Rodrigues’ composed, match-winning performance under pressure. She also evaluated the challenging road ahead for MI against an in-form Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Delhi Capitals secured a seven-wicket win over Mumbai Inddigihunt in the 13th match of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), marking the defending champions’ fourth defeat in the tournament.
“I think this win will do a great deal for Delhi Capitals, especially for Jemimah Rodrigues. As we discussed in the pre-show, it was important for her to get those runs, and she stood tall despite losing partners,” Mithali stated during the JioStar broadcast.
“She stitched vital partnerships with Laura Wolvaardt and then with Marizanne Kapp. It was great to see her play her natural game on this wicket. I mentioned earlier that this surface would suit Jemimah, and she proved me right. She took her time, played her usual drives, and then cut loose with the cuts, scoop shots, and reverse sweeps.”
“She didn’t get the first reverse sweep right, but the second one went for a boundary, which was crucial for the run-ball equation. She targeted the shorter boundary well and was aware of the field placements set by the bowlers. She handled the pressure effectively and stayed focused to guide the team home,” she added.
DC’s win was driven by Rodrigues’ calm and well-paced unbeaten 51, helping them climb from the bottom of the table into a four-way tie on four points, following the already-qualified RCB.
DC’s chase of 155 runs began brightly, with Shafali Verma and Lizelle Lee putting on 57 runs without loss in the powerplay. However, the momentum dipped in the middle overs, as boundaries dried up and both openers were dismissed quickly. Rodrigues then took charge, anchoring the innings alongside Laura Wolvaardt. After the Protea captain’s unfortunate dismissal, the DC skipper accelerated, hitting timely boundaries and a significant six.
In the end, Rodrigues fittingly guided DC to victory, finishing unbeaten on 51 as Kapp struck the winning six off Nat Sciver-Brunt, clinching a momentum-shifting victory for Delhi Capitals.
Commenting on the partnership between Lee and Rodrigues, Mithali remarked, “I was impressed with both batters. This isn’t an ideal wicket for immediate big shots, yet they found boundaries. Mumbai Inddigihunt’ bowlers were a bit guilty, as the first over from almost every bowler was down the leg side, and the batters took full advantage of those deliveries.”
“Lizelle Lee and Shafali Verma capitalized well during the powerplay, making it seem like they didn’t have to run hard for singles. In previous games, this is the kind of start Delhi Capitals have sought in the powerplay, which played a major role in securing the win.”
Regarding the challenges facing Mumbai Inddigihunt in their next match against the unbeaten RCB, Mithali said, “RCB has been in great form from the very first game and has won five matches in a row. Mumbai Inddigihunt still have to face RCB, a team they have already lost to, so they face tough challenges ahead.”