Delhi Capitals hand RCB first loss, boost WPL playoff hopes | Cricket News
Delhi Capitals kept their playoff hopes alive with a commanding seven-wicket victory over league leaders Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Saturday, handing RCB their first defeat of the Women’s Premier League season. Choosing to bowl first, DC put in a disciplined and well-executed performance to bundle RCB out for just 109 in their 20 overs. The modest target was then chased down comfortably, with Delhi reaching 111 for 3 in 15.4 overs and 26 deliveries to spare. The chase, however, did not begin smoothly for Delhi. Openers Shafali Verma and Lizelle Lee were dismissed cheaply, leaving DC struggling at 24 for 2 inside the fourth over. From there, captain Jemimah Rodrigues and Laura Wolvaardt steadied the innings with a crucial third-wicket stand that took the sting out of the contest. The pair added 52 runs, with Rodrigues scoring 24 off 26 balls, including four boundaries. Wolvaardt anchored the chase superbly, remaining unbeaten on 42 from 38 deliveries, striking four fours and a six. Marizanne Kapp then applied the finishing touches, scoring an unbeaten 19 off 15 balls and sealing the win with a boundary off Shreyanka Patil. For RCB, Sayali Satghare was the standout bowler with figures of 2 for 18, while Radha Yadav picked up one wicket. Earlier, RCB’s batting faltered despite a solid start from captain Smriti Mandhana, who top-scored with 38 off 34 balls, hitting six fours and a six. Radha Yadav’s 18 was the only other notable contribution as eight batters fell for single-digit scores. The opening stand of 36 between Mandhana and Grace Harris proved to be RCB’s highest partnership as they slipped from a steady position to 78 for 5 and were eventually bowled out. Nandani Sharma led DC’s bowling effort with 3 for 26, while Kapp, Minnu Mani and Chinelle Henry claimed two wickets each, and Shree Charani added one. The win lifted Delhi to second place with six points, while RCB remained on top with 10 points despite the loss.
