WPL-4: Harmanpreet, Sciver-Brunt on song as MI thrashes DC

Jemimah Rodrigues holds the D.Y. Patil Stadium close to her heart. It is where the local favourite made her Test debut, won her first World Cup, and began her run as captain of Delhi Capitals in the Women’s Premier League. That last experience, however, brought with it a 50-run defeat to Mumbai Indians in its 2026 campaign opener here on Saturday.

MI came into the match licking its wounds from the loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru a night prior and seemed to have had some hard conversations. However, the first few overs after being put in to bat eerily resembled the defending champion’s struggles against RCB.

Amelia Kerr was sent back by Chinelle Henry for a duck, courtesy a brilliant Lizelle Lee behind the stumps. G. Kamalini could only crawl to a 19-ball 16 before falling to debutant Nandani Sharma.

Nat Sciver-Brunt’s assault left Jemimah stumped for answers and helped Harmanpreet Kaur break free, the pair stitching a quick-fire 66-run stand.

Shree Charani dialled up the pace to snare Sciver-Brunt. Harmanpreet had Nicola Carey for company to inflict more damage before Nandani sent the latter packing. Despite having a great night, the Chandigarh medium-pacer was surprisingly given only three overs. Harmanpreet plundered 19 runs off the final over to take MI just short of 200.

The new DC opening pair of Shafali Verma and Lee started cautiously, with Shabnim Ismail’s searing pace posing questions aplenty. Sciver-Brunt removed the dangerous Lee with an off-cutter while Carey struck off Shafali and Laura Wolvaardt for single-digit scores in a span of three balls.

Jemimah perished for one soon as Kamalini’s fantastic one-handed catch did the job. Marizanne Kapp knelt on one knee to smoke Carey for a six down the ground but holed out to short third while attempting an encore off the next ball.

Henry braved the demoralising fall of wickets at the other end, scoring a half-century along the way. But Carey, who dropped her in the 14th over, dismissed her in the 18th, effectively snuffing out DC’s hopes of an opening win.

The scores: MI 195/4 in 20 overs (Sciver-Brunt 70, Harmanpreet 74 n.o., Nandani 2/26) bt Delhi Capitals 145 in 19 overs (Henry 56, Sciver-Brunt 2/29, Carey 3/37, Kerr 3/24).