'It means everything': Mumbai Indians clinch inaugural WPL title

Nat Sciver-Brunt guides team to victory over Delhi in the final on Sunday

Mumbai Indians players pose with the trophy after winning the 2023 Women's Premier League following their win over Delhi Capitals at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday, March 26, 2023. AFP

Mumbai Indians emerged as champions of the inaugural Women's Premier League (WPL) after Nat Sciver-Brunt scored an unbeaten 60 to guide her team to a seven-wicket victory against Delhi Capitals in the T20 final on Sunday.

Delhi captain Meg Lanning top-scored for her side with 35 but the Capitals could only manage 131-9. Even that score had looked unlikely at one stage as they slumped to 79-9 before Shikha Pandey and Radha Yadav hit quick 27s apiece.

For Mumbai, Hayley Matthews was the pick of the bowlers, snaring 3-5 from her four overs. Amelia Kerr (2-18) and Issy Wong (3-42) were also among the wickets.

Mumbai lost both the openers early but skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (37) and England all-rounder Sciver-Brunt combined in a 72-run stand to put their team on course for victory.

Sciver-Brunt, the league's most expensive foreign recruit along with Australia's Ashleigh Gardner, sealed victory in the final over with a paddle shot for a boundary. Mumbai thus added to the five IPL titles won by the men's team.

"It means everything. At the start of the competition I didn't know what to expect," player of the match Sciver-Brunt said.

"Coming together with a special group of girls with the Mumbai Indians, really special to be standing here."

Kaur added: "It feels like a dream, for everyone here. So many people were asking when will the WPL come and that day is here, and we are so happy and proud."

It was a festive atmosphere at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai as more than 20,000 fans turned up for the final, with Mumbai's men's IPL players also at the ground cheering the team.

The WPL had already become a game-changer for women's cricket after the Indian board earned $572.5m from the bids to own five teams in the league. Broadcast rights for the tournament went for $116.7m, making the WPL the second most valuable women's league after the WNBA.