WPL 2026: DC beat MI to keep playoff hopes alive
What's the story
Jemimah Rodrigues led from the front with an unbeaten half-century as Delhi Capitals (DC) defeated Mumbai Indians (MI) by seven wickets in Vadodara on Tuesday. The win keeps DC's hopes alive for a spot in the playoffs of the ongoing Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026. After restricting MI to a total of 154/5, DC began their innings on a strong note with Shafali Verma and Lizelle Lee. Rodrigues's unbeaten fifty later powered the team over the line.
Chase
How did the run chase pan out?
Verma (29) and Lee (46) put together a 61-run opening stand, giving DC an aggressive start to their chase. However, the momentum shifted briefly when Lee was controversially stumped after a lengthy third-umpire review. Despite the setback, Rodrigues took charge of the innings and formed a steady partnership with Laura Wolvaardt (17) to keep DC in the hunt for their target. Notably, DC crossed the line with an over to spare.
Match-winning performance
Rodrigues's decisive innings and Kapp's finishing touch
Rodrigues played a calm and composed innings, hitting timely boundaries and running hard between the wickets. The turning point of the match came in the last four overs when Rodrigues hit Nat Sciver-Brunt for a crucial six in the 16th over. She also played some innovative shots off Hayley Matthews to take DC closer to their target. Marizanne Kapp sealed the win with an over to spare, hitting Sciver-Brunt over deep mid-wicket for a six.
Match details
MI's innings and DC's bowling performance
MI's innings was anchored by Sciver-Brunt, who scored an unbeaten 65 off 45 balls. She was well supported by Harmanpreet Kaur, who made a fluent 41. Despite early wickets in the Powerplay, the duo rebuilt the innings with a crucial 78-run partnership for the third wicket. However, DC's bowlers held their nerve in the death overs to restrict MI to a manageable total of 154/5.
Information
Second win of the tourney for DC
This was DC's second win in five games this season as they now own four points with their net run rate being -0.586. MI also have two wins but in six matches now. The second-placed team has a NRR of +0.046.
Sciver-Brunt
Sciver-Brunt equals this feat of Lanning
Sciver-Brunt held the innings together brilliantly, remaining unbeaten on 65 off 45 balls. Her knock was laced with six fours and two sixes. Sciver-Brunt raced to her 11th half-century in the WPL, now the joint-most with Meg Lanning. The England star, who is the highest run-scorer in the tournament's history, now has 1,246 runs from 34 matches at an average of 47.92. She has completed 219 runs in the ongoing tourney at 54.75 (50s: 3).
Kaur
Kaur becomes leading run-getter of the season
Kaur complemented Sciver-Brunt well with her 41-run knock off 33 balls (7 fours). During her stay, the MI skipper became the leading run-getter of the ongoing season with 240 runs from five games at 60 (50s: 2). Sciver-Brunt is second on the list. Overall, Kaur has tallied 1,091 runs from 33 WPL matches at 43.64. The tally includes 10 fifties.
DC bowlers
Key numbers for Kapp and Charani
Having returned with 1/8 from four overs, Marizanne Kapp delivered the most economical spell in the ongoing season. Her WPL 2026 tally now reads four wickets at an economy of 5.25. Charani (1/33 from four overs) was the pick of the DC bowlers. She now boasts seven wickets in the ongoing season at a higher economy of 9.21. .
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46 for Lizelle Lee
Lizelle Lee played well for her 46 off 28 balls, a knock studded with seven fours and a six. Though the batter missed out on her third fifty in her maiden WPL season, she has taken her tally to 206 runs from five matches at 51.50.
Verma
Verma becomes fourth batter with 1,000 WPL runs
Verma, who slammed six fours en route to her 24-ball 29, became the second Indian and fourth overall player to complete 1,000 WPL runs. The aggressive opener now owns 1,014 runs in WPL from 32 matches at 34.96. The tally includes seven fifties and a strike rate of 155.04. While the DC star has 53 maximums in the league, no other batter even has 40 sixes. Shafali's WPL 2026 tally reads 149 runs from five games at 37.25.
Rodrigues
First fifty of the season for Rodrigues
Rodrigues made an unbeaten 51 off 37 balls with the help of five fours and a six. The DC skipper hammered her maiden fifty this season, taking her tally to 92 runs from five games at 23. Overall, in 32 WPL matches, she has racked up 598 runs at an average of 27.18. Her career strike rate is an impressive 139.71 (4 fifties).