WPL 2024: DC Skipper Meg Lanning Becomes First Player to Cross 500 Runs in Tournament History

Delhi Capitals skipper Meg Lanning became the first player ever in the history of the Women’s Premier League to scale the 500-run mark with her 53-run knock against the Mumbai Indians at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Tuesday.

The Australian player made a half-century to boost her side’s total against the holders in the first match of the second phase of the WPL 2024 in the national capital.

Mumbai Indians won the toss and Harmanpreet Kaur, who returned to action after missing a couple of games due to injury, opted to have a bowl first as DC came out to bat with their usual opening pair of Lanning and Shafali Verma.

The pair got the hosts off to a good start as they raced to 48 before the end of the fifth over, but South African pacer Shabnim Ismael, who also started the game after facing time on the sidelines, got a breakthrough for her side.

Verma, who was in smashing form batting at 28 runs in 12 deliveries tossed up a chance to Yastika Bhatia and the MI fielder made no mistake in making Verma pay as she held on to it with comfort to send the 20-year-old back to the hut.

Englishwoman Alice Capsey came out to replace the fallen Indian and supported her skipper in a 31-run stand before being sent back to the dugout by Hayley Matthews after having made 19 runs off 20 deliveries.

Protea all-rounder Marizanne Kapp came out to bat and put up a 35-run partnership alongside her captain before Lanning was removed by Pooja Vastrakar as Amelia Kerr held on to a catch offered up by the 31-year-old Australian.

The clash between DC and MI is a top-of-the-table affair with the winner of the day being assured the top spot at least until Royal Challengers Bangalore take on UP Warriorz in Delhi on Wednesday.

Delhi and Mumbai were the finalists of the inaugural season on a day Mumbai went on to claim the title. The opening match of the ongoing second season also featured the same two sides and MI managed to edge out their opponents in a nail-biting finish at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru to get the campaign underway.