Delhi Capitals' heartbreak in WPL final

The Delhi Capitals franchise are despondent after going down in the WPL final, despite a reasonable job in the first half of the game. Mumbai Indians managed to step up in the key moments to get across the line.

DC head coach Jonathan Batty denied claims of a mental block, saying the players were positive and confident. He praised the team's performance with the ball, keeping Mumbai Indians to 149 on a challenging wicket.

The Capitals made a strong start with early wickets of Hayley Matthews and Yastika Bhatia, courtesy Marizanne Kapp's sensational new ball spell. However, Harmanpreet Kaur and Nat Sciver-Brunt's 83-run stand threatened to push Mumbai past the 160-170 mark, before DC broke the stand and fought back hard to keep the total to 149.

In the chase, DC faltered, losing by eight runs. Coach Batty acknowledged that the occasion might have gotten to the players, but praised Mumbai Indians for their defensive efforts. He also praised Harmanpreet's counterattacking 44-ball 66, which proved to be the decisive knock.

Skipper Meg Lanning will be gutted, given her penchant for winning silverware in international cricket. Despite the loss, Batty defended Lanning's leadership, saying she is thriving in the captaincy role.