Delhi Capitals hammer Royal Challengers Bangalore by 60 runs

• Delhi Capitals got off to a winning start in the 2023 Women’s Premier League
• Meg Lanning's team beat Smriti Mandhana's side by 60 runs
• DC Skipper and Shafali Verma scored half-centuries while Tara Norris picked 5 wickets

Delhi Capitals got off to a winning start in the 2023 Women’s Premier League as captain Meg Lanning and opener Shafali Verma smashed quick-fire half-centuries to guide them to a 60-run win over Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Brabourne Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

Delhi Capitals started their WPL campaign with a blistering partnership between opener Shafali Verma and captain Meg Lanning. The two batters started on the front foot and took apart Bangalore’s bowling attack with a 162-run stand for the first wicket.

Lanning was the aggressor at the start, with Shafali taking over the mantle from the Australian batter. At a stage, it seemed like both Shafali and Lanning would go on to complete their centuries. But Heather Knight gave RCB their first breakthrough, getting rid of Lanning in the 15th over. Lanning scored 77 runs off 43 balls, hitting 14 boundaries at a strike rate of 167.44.

Knight struck again in the same over, sending Shafali back to the pavilion after scoring 84 runs off 45 deliveries. Shafali hit 10 boundaries and four sixes while scoring at a mind-boggling strike rate of 186.66. After the two openers departed, Jemimah Rodrigues and Marizanne Kapp took over the responsibility of scoring at the same rate.

Rodrigues scored 22 runs off 15 balls, hitting three boundaries. While, Kapp scored 39 runs in 17 balls at a fantastic strike rate of 229.41, hitting three fours and three sixes. The two batters stitched a quick-fire 60-run partnership to guide DC to a total of 223/2 in 20 overs.

In the second innings, Smriti Mandhana started off with positive intent and took on DC’s pacers. The RCB skipper stitched a 41-run stand with Sophie Devine before the New Zealand batter was dismissed by Alice Capsey in the fifth over. Mandhana was looking good but couldn’t convert her start into a big score, falling at the hands of Capsey after scoring 35 runs off 23 balls.

Ellyse Perry scored a quick-fire 32 before American bowler Tara Norris cleaned her up. Disha Kasat couldn’t move the scoreboard much as Norris picked up her second wicket of the day. Hard-hitting Richa Ghosh couldn’t stamp her authority on the game, being dismissed by Norris. On the very next ball, Norris removed Kanika Ahuja to claim her fourth wicket.

Heather Knight and Megan Schutt provided a late flourish for RCB but it was a little too late for them. Norris then went on to complete her five-wicket haul, getting rid of Knight in the 18th over. RCB ended their innings at 163/8, losing the match by 60 runs.