Capitals Struggle After Strong Start

Opting to bat first, Delhi Capitals had a shaky start as Shafali Verma fell for a first-ball duck, chipping straight to mid-off. Jemimah Rodrigues (34) and Meg Lanning (26) tried to rebuild, adding a brisk 50-run partnership before Georgia Wareham struck, stumping Rodrigues with a clever delivery. Lanning followed suit five balls later, top-edging a short ball to fine-leg, shifting the momentum in RCB’s favor.

RCB tightened their grip after the time-out, choking the Capitals’ scoring rate as they went 22 balls without a boundary. Despite Annabel Sutherland’s six, she fell soon after, followed by the dismissals of Jess Jonassen and Marizanne Kapp, leaving Delhi reeling at 105/6. Sarah Bryce (23 off 19) fought to push the total past 150, but RCB’s bowlers wrapped up the tail efficiently, bowling Delhi out for 141 in 19.3 overs.

Mandhana Leads RCB’s Blazing Chase

RCB’s chase began in explosive fashion, with Mandhana and Wyatt-Hodge taking full advantage of the powerplay, racing to 57/0 in six overs. Mandhana dispatched Kapp for consecutive boundaries, while Wyatt-Hodge hammered Shikkha Pandey for four fours across two overs. The momentum remained with RCB as Mandhana smashed her fastest WPL fifty off just 27 balls.

Despite Wyatt-Hodge’s dismissal at 100/1, RCB never looked in trouble. Ellyse Perry survived a mix-up between Lanning and Sutherland, while Mandhana continued her assault, slamming Sutherland and Jonassen for boundaries. The skipper fell at fine-leg attempting a scoop, but with only 11 runs needed, Richa Ghosh finished in style with a four and a six, sealing RCB’s second consecutive victory in 16.2 overs.

Brief Scores:

Delhi Capitals – 141 in 19.3 overs (Jemimah Rodrigues 34, Sarah Bryce 23; Renuka Singh Thakur 3-23, Georgia Wareham 3-25)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru – 146/2 in 16.2 overs (Smriti Mandhana 81, Danielle Wyatt-Hodge 42; Shikkha Pandey 1-27)

Result: RCB won by 8 wickets.

Also Read : Pakistan Cricket: A Journey of Resurgence and Redemption

Since retiring, Meg Lanning has only briefly appeared in domestic competitions in Australia. However, she’s now found herself captaining the Delhi Capitals in the WPL in India. She’s been in great form, leading the batting charts with 146 runs at an impressive strike rate. Her contributions have been instrumental in Delhi’s success, with the team currently leading the WPL table with three wins out of four matches.

Lanning is relishing her time with Delhi, particularly enjoying the camaraderie with her teammates, including former Australian colleagues Annabel Sutherland and Jess Jonassen. She feels less pressure compared to international cricket and is focused on simply enjoying the game and helping her team win.

Despite her success, Meg Lanning acknowledges there’s room for improvement in their game. She’s not completely satisfied but is happy to be making a contribution. Looking ahead, she won’t be joining Australia’s squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in Bangladesh, choosing to explore different opportunities instead.

While Lanning hasn’t had much time to explore new ventures yet due to her cricket commitments, she’s considering various options in the background. The beauty of her situation is that she doesn’t feel rushed; she can continue playing cricket and stay involved while waiting for the right opportunity to arise. She plans to assess her options after the WPL concludes and take it from there.

Australia captain Meg Lanning has pulled out of the Women’s Ashes tour in England that begins next month due to medical reasons, with Alyssa Healy set to lead the team instead, Cricket Australia (CA) said on Saturday.

CA said Meg Lanning was asked to stay at home to manage the issue and gave no time frame on her return. It marks the second time the 31-year-old has missed the Ashes after a shoulder injury ruled her out of the 2017-18 series at home.

Lanning had also taken an indefinite break from the game for personal reasons in August before returning to the squad and leading Australia to the T20 World Cup title in South Africa earlier this year.

“It’s an unfortunate setback for Meg and she’s obviously disappointed to have been ruled out of the Ashes,” Shawn Flegler, CA’s Head of Performance for women’s cricket, said.

“It’s a significant series for the team and she’ll be missed, but she understands the need to put her health first.

“Meg Lanning will remain at home where she will continue to work with medical staff with the aim to return to playing as soon as possible.”

Also Read: ‘If I didn’t get injured, Pakistan could’ve won T20 World Cup last year’, says Shaheen Shah Afridi

Lanning is one of the most decorated players in the game having won the T20 World Cup five times and the 50-over World Cup twice. She also led Australia to the Commonwealth Games gold last year.

CA said Lanning would not be replaced in the squad as the Australia A team is also touring the UK and players would be called up if necessary.

Australia, who are looking to retain the Ashes, take on England in a test match from June 22-26 at Trent Bridge before playing three Twenty20 matches and three one-day internationals, wrapping up the tour on July 18.