WPL 2024: MI vs DC: Sajana's Nerveless Last-Ball Six Propels Mumbai to Victory

What an absolutely thrilling game of cricket we just witnessed in the opening match of WPL 2024. In a nail-biting finish, with just 5 runs needed off the final ball, Sajeevan Sajana delivered an incredible sixer, securing victory for the defending champions, Mumbai Indians Women. It was an edge-of-your-seat moment as Mumbai Indians Women clinched a stunning win by 4 wickets in this heart-stopping encounter, setting the perfect tone for their journey ahead in the tournament.

Before Mumbai Indians Women’s thrilling chase, Delhi Capitals Women set a formidable target after opting to bat first. They posted a commanding total of 171/5 in their allotted 20 overs. The backbone of their innings was Alice Capsey, whose brilliant innings of 75 runs off 53 balls provided the much-needed momentum.

Capsey’s stellar performance was complemented by crucial partnerships with Jemimah Rodrigues and Meg Lanning, who contributed 42 and 31 runs, respectively. Together, they steered the Capitals past the 170-run mark, setting up a challenging task for Mumbai Indians Women in their pursuit of victory.

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Alice Capsey’s Scintillating 75 Puts MI Under Pressure

In their pursuit of the challenging target of 171 runs set by Delhi Capitals Women, the Mumbai Indians Women faced an early setback when Hayley Matthews departed without opening her account in the very first over of the innings, leaving the team with a disappointing start.

However, the Mumbai Indians Women found hope in the partnership between Yastika Bhatia and Nat Sciver-Brunt, who displayed remarkable resilience and aggression during the powerplay. Together, they stitched together a valuable 50-run stand for the second wicket, offering a glimmer of hope to their team’s chase. Their partnership seemed to be steering the innings in the right direction, until Arundhati Reddy struck for Delhi Capitals Women, clean-bowling Nat Sciver-Brunt for 19 runs and breaking the burgeoning partnership at a crucial juncture.

As the innings progressed, Mumbai Indians Women relied on the capable shoulders of Amelia Kerr and Harmanpreet to anchor their chase. The duo showed composure and determination, steadily accumulating runs and keeping the required run rate within reach. With their settled presence at the crease, it appeared as though Mumbai Indians Women were regaining control of the match.

However, just when the partnership between Kerr and Harmanpreet seemed to be blossoming into a match-winning one, Shikha Pandey, representing Delhi Capitals Women, delivered a pivotal blow. Pandey’s delivery clean-bowled Amelia Kerr for 24 runs, swinging the momentum back in favor of Delhi Capitals Women and putting the defending champions, Mumbai Indians Women, on the back foot once again.

With 5 runs needed off 1 ball, the fans were on the edge of their seats. What they witnessed was nothing short of a miracle as Sajeevan Sajana, the girl from Mananthavady who used to play with coconut madal in her childhood, smashed a six off the last ball and sealed the game for the defending champions, Mumbai Indians Women.