WPL 2025: Shafali Verma, Niki Prasad Shine as Delhi Capitals Clinch Last-Ball Thriller

Barely a day after witnessing a high-scoring chase of 202 with ease, the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025 delivered a dramatic low-scoring thriller. Delhi Capitals (DC) found themselves in a tense battle against Mumbai Indians (MI), eventually scraping through with a two-wicket victory on the very last ball of the match.

With 165 to chase, DC’s innings oscillated between dominance and near-collapse, ultimately needing two runs off the last ball. A desperate dive from Arundhati Reddy sealed the deal, as the Capitals edged past the finish line in a heart-stopping moment.

Niki Prasad’s Dream Debut

Under-19 World Cup-winning captain Niki Prasad marked her WPL debut with a mature knock, keeping DC in the hunt when the game was slipping away.

She scored a crucial 35 off 33 balls and even struck a boundary at the start of the final over, keeping her side’s hopes alive. However, with just two runs required from two balls, she holed out, adding to the late drama.

Mumbai’s Middle-Order Collapse After Sciver-Brunt and Harmanpreet Heroics

Mumbai Indians’ innings revolved around the brilliance of Nat Sciver-Brunt and Harmanpreet Kaur.

Sciver-Brunt played a composed unbeaten knock of 80 off 59 balls, while the MI skipper blazed away with a 22-ball 42. At 130/3, Mumbai looked set for a strong finish, but a shocking collapse saw them lose seven wickets for just 35 runs.

Shafali Verma’s Powerplay Carnage

Shafali Verma provided DC with a blistering start, smashing 43 off just 18 deliveries. She took the attack to Saika Ishaque in a brutal assault, amassing 22 runs in a single over. Her innings included four consecutive boundaries and a massive six over covers, leaving MI on the back foot.

However, DC’s charge hit a roadblock as wickets began tumbling in quick succession. Meg Lanning struggled against Shabnim Ismail’s lethal outswingers before being castled. Jemimah Rodrigues and Annabel Sutherland also fell cheaply, triggering a middle-order slump that left the chase precariously placed.

Controversial Run-Out Calls That Shaped the Outcome

The match witnessed three highly-debatable run-out decisions, each reviewed by third umpire Gayathri Venugopalan.

Shikha Pandey’s Lucky Escape (18th Over)

On her very first ball, Pandey was nearly caught short while scrambling for a single. The replays suggested that no part of her bat was inside the crease when the bails were dislodged, but the third umpire ruled in her favor, considering some part of the bat had crossed the crease by the time the stumps were broken.

Radha Yadav’s Close Call (19th Over)

With 16 needed off eight balls, Radha Yadav put in a full-length dive but accidentally bounced her bat in the air just as the stumps lit up. While she had initially dragged her bat in, the replays showed it hovering mid-air at the time of dismissal. Yet again, the umpire ruled in favor of the batter, much to MI’s frustration.

Arundhati Reddy’s Decisive Dive (Last Ball)

With two required off two, Reddy sprinted back for a desperate second run, diving full stretch to make her ground. The replays showed her bat hovering close to the crease line, but the third umpire adjudged her safe, sparking celebrations in the DC camp.

Prasad and Bryce Hold Nerve Amidst Chaos

Despite DC’s early advantage, MI kept pulling things back with timely wickets. The Capitals’ middle-order collapse saw them at 109/5, still needing 56 off 31 balls. Niki Prasad stitched a crucial 33-run partnership with Alice Capsey before the latter perished, leaving DC under pressure.

WPL debutant Sarah Bryce then joined Prasad and provided a much-needed boost. She took on Ishaque, smashing an edged four off Sciver-Brunt before sending a delivery into the leg-side stands. Her quickfire 21 off 10 balls injected life into DC’s chase, but once she departed, it was all on Prasad to shepherd the lower order.

Last-Over Drama and the Winning Dive

Needing 10 off the final over, Prasad set the tone with a first-ball boundary, but her dismissal two balls later put MI right back in the contest. With two runs required from the final two deliveries, Reddy held her nerve, sprinting back for a tight second run that ultimately sealed DC’s victory.

In a game filled with momentum shifts, blazing knocks, and umpiring controversies, Delhi Capitals emerged victorious, thanks to Shafali Verma’s power-hitting, Niki Prasad’s composure, and a last-ball moment that will be remembered for years to come.

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