Even the best of captains make mistakes. That’s what pressure does to you. At the time Harmanpreet Kaur got out, Mumbai Indians (MI) were 117-7. With two and a bit overs to go, few expected them to go past 140 with all the recognised batters back in the hut. With Meg Lanning in charge, Delhi Capitals (DC) were expected to take control.
That’s when the mistake was made. For whatever reason, Lanning, one of the greatest leaders in the game, decided not to bowl Jess Jonassen, one of the best and most consistent spinners of the last decade. Jonassen had picked up two wickets in her third over and put the brakes on the scoring. It was a baffling call, and resulted in 25 runs off the last two overs. That seemed 10 too many. The difference, in the end, was eight runs.
When you think of key games, there is always one turning point. Mike Gatting playing the reverse-sweep in Kolkata in 1987, Herschelle Gibbs dropping Steve Waugh at Headingley in 1999, and MS Dhoni not diving in the 2019 World Cup semi-final come to mind immediately. Lanning’s decision to not bowl Jonassen will rank alongside these historic mistakes.
For Jonassen, who watched on from the sidelines and has won every honour worth winning with Australia, this was a seventh straight final loss in franchise cricket since 2023. For someone who has been a serial winner in green-and-gold, that’s quite a bizarre sequence of results. And her frustration on Saturday was probably heightened by not being able to do more to change the narrative.
What was more surprising was that Lanning went to a rookie left-arm spinner instead. Shree Charani, just 20 and playing her second WPL game, conceded two fours, and all of a sudden, MI found last-ditch momentum. Did Lanning miscalculate? Why did Jonathan Batty or Sourav Ganguly not send a message to her? Delhi will keep asking these questions for days and weeks on end.
When batting too, they had their moments. The target of 150 was gettable and despite losing early wickets, Marizanne Kapp did bring DC back into the game. With Niki Prasad for company, they had come within striking distance. An equation of 29 off the last three overs was very achievable, and that was when Mumbai showed the composure to win. They knew how to close out a key game. Delhi did not. The truth is Mumbai knew how to win. Delhi did not. Much like the Indian team between 2017 and 2021, Delhi keep making the final, only to falter at the last hurdle.
It will hurt. Has to. But that’s sport. Even the greatest make mistakes, for it’s real and not reel. Harmanpreet, on the other hand, yet again showed why she remains the best India have in the format. A knock of immense value under pressure, it was the MI captain and her Delhi counterpart who won MI the trophy. Harmanpreet with her batting brilliance, and Lanning with her captaincy mistake.
Sport always gives a second chance. The question is, will we see Lanning back in 2026 to give it a fourth shot? If she doesn’t, we have to accept that even for the best, sport can be really cruel at times.
In sum, a great final and one that will undoubtedly help the WPL brand to grow. Congratulations, Mumbai. Commiserations, Delhi.
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