“Perhaps the grandeur of the occasion overwhelmed the players,” remarked Jonathan Batty regarding Delhi Capitals’ disappointing outcome. | Source: Cricbuzz.com

**WPL Final Analysis: Jonathan Batty Discusses Delhi Capitals’ Heartache**

Published by Cricbuzz Staff

Jonathan Batty stood firmly behind his squad, dismissing any notion of a psychological hurdle being the reason for their third consecutive final defeat © BCCI

In an unfortunate pattern, the Delhi Capitals franchise, overwhelming the league phase to secure a direct berth in the finals for three consecutive seasons, has consistently faltered at the ultimate juncture. Despite a commendable performance in the first half of the recent Women’s Premier League final, the Capitals were undone by the Mumbai Indians, who, true to form, rose to the occasion and clinched victory.

Delhi Capitals’ head coach, Jonathan Batty, has refuted allegations that his team crumbled under the pressure of past losses.

“The women were incredibly upbeat. At no point did they dwell on previous failures with thoughts like, ‘We’ve blown our last two finals; let’s carry that baggage forward.’ They approached this final with positivity and confidence. The efficiency during training was evident throughout.”

“I strongly believe there was no mental block. Our bowling performance was exemplary, restricting the opposition to 149 on that pitch. Observing outcomes from the elimination matches and other games, we anticipated 180 to be par, so holding them to 149 was a significant positive. The squad was prepared; hence, a mental barrier was not a concern.”

Indeed, as Batty highlighted, DC began the final assertively with Marizanne Kapp’s impressive new ball spell claiming the early scalps of Hayley Matthews and Yastika Bhatia. This early success restricted MI to just 20 runs during the PowerPlay, setting the tone for the Capitals. However, Mumbai Indians’ Harmanpreet Kaur and Nat Sciver-Brunt shifted the momentum significantly with a crucial 83-run partnership, threatening a much higher tally. DC’s bowlers tightened their grip just in time to restrict MI to 149, a target that was attainable but eventually unsuccessful as DC fell short by eight runs.

“The team is in a great deal of pain right now. In match finals, securing a chase of 150 on today’s wicket seemed probable. Perhaps the occasion overshadowed our efforts, but kudos to Mumbai Indians for their robust defense of the total. They made our task difficult, keeping us behind in the run chase. We remained in contention throughout but ultimately couldn’t seal victory.”

Harmanpreet’s decisive 44-ball 66 proved pivotal, with her brisk acceleration setting her apart, especially on such a critical night. Her quest began calmly, a deviation from her usual approach this season, but once settled, she unleashed a formidable assault on the DC bowlers. Sciver-Brunt played a supportive role, extremely effective in tandem to revive MI after a rocky start. Batty refrained from criticizing his team for the middle overs’ chaos instigated by Harmanpreet.

“Significant planning was dedicated to managing players like Harmanpreet and Nat Sciver-Brunt. I believe we contained them commendably, particularly Sciver-Brunt, who amassed over 500 runs this season. Harmanpreet’s innings were indeed the differential factor today.”

The sting of another final loss will resonate keenly with skipper Meg Lanning, a cricketer synonymous with clinching trophies at the international level. The franchise format, however, has been unforgiving for the Australian stalwart, and with the WPL championship eluding reach thrice consecutively, this series of near-misses is especially disheartening. Lanning, slightly subdued in form, perhaps grappling with the inevitable challenges of aging, nevertheless enjoys Batty’s full support.

“Meg is thriving in her leadership role. She delivered crucial performances throughout the tournament and guided an admirable team over these three years.”

The final was a pulsating roller-coaster, with momentum swinging back and forth as both teams delivered strong exchanges of play. Ultimately, DC was edged out by the narrowest margins in an unexpectedly low-scoring affair at a previously high-scoring venue. Despite the bitter taste of yet another final loss, Batty believes it’s premature to dissect the final too intensely and dismisses any perceived patterns in their successive final defeats.

“We’re all deeply affected by the outcome. It will take time to comprehend where it unravelled. This is, after all, cricket — a face-off between two quality sides in a thrilling contest. Losing by eight runs, essentially just two boundaries short, speaks to the fine balance. We’ve been on the losing end three times, but that’s sadly how it went.”