The Meg Lanning-led Delhi Capitals maintained their Women’s Premier League 2023 winning streak on March 13 by defeating Royal Challengers Bangalore in an exciting match. In the DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai, the two teams squared off, but Delhi won by six wickets, handing the Smriti Mandhana-led team their fifth straight loss.
Bangalore had opportunities to win the game, but Jess Jonassen’s six off Renuka Thakur’s penultimate delivery helped the Capitals win the game and earn their second victory over RCB and their fourth victory overall. Vice-captain Jemimah Rodrigues, who was instrumental in Delhi’s pursuit, was unluckily removed from the game at a pivotal moment. Rodrigues said she intended to stay on the crease until the very end to complete the chase after Delhi’s victory over Bangalore. She also praised the team’s efforts and each player’s morale, which helped them prevail while chasing under pressure.
“I wanted to finish it off and come, I was disappointed with the way I got out but the way JJ came and hit those boundaries. These are the matches we live for. I think it is very important for us to be tested that’s when our character is tested. It’s good that we are getting matches like this in the league stages, helps us prepare for the finals,” Jemimah told the official broadcasters during her post-match interview.
Jonassen smashed a six and a four to conclude the game and prevent RCB from securing their first victory of the tournament when the Capitals needed seven runs off just four deliveries to win. When Shikha Pandey was bowling, she dropped a simple catch, resulting in DC giving up eight extras in their first inning. Despite not giving their best effort, Rodrigues, 22, claimed that her team’s fielding is among the finest in the WPL.
“One bad game doesn’t define us, our team has been fielding well, it can happen in cricket sometimes. It’s what we do next that will define us. We have two days rest and we are gonna work on our fielding. We have one of the best fielding sides out there,” Rodrigues further added.