After winning the toss and batting first in the finals of the 2023 and 2024 WPLs – both of which they lost – Capitals skipper Lanning this time opted to bowl at the Brabourne Stadium when the coin came down in her favour.
It seemed the right ploy when the Capitals squeezed their opponents early on as the skilful Kapp gave them the upper hand with a superb opening spell.
Kapp claimed the key wicket of the dangerous Hayley Matthews with a clever set-up, bowling three away-swingers before a wobble-seam delivery nipped back.
Mumbai had to wait until the fifth over for a boundary and their powerplay score of 20-2 was the second lowest of this year’s tournament.
However, in a repeat of the 2023 final between the sides, Sciver-Brunt and Harmanpreet diligently rebuilt the innings for MI, laying a platform to go on the attack.
On that occasion it was Sciver-Brunt who played a leading hand with an unbeaten 60 but this time experienced India skipper Harmapreet was the chief protagonist.
Harmapreet showed the greater aggression, whipping Sutherland for six through mid-wicket then extravagantly striking three consecutive fours off Jonassen.
Sciver-Brunt’s knock was sufficient for her to become the first player in WPL history to pass 1,000 runs, sailing clear as the leading run-scorer with 523 in 10 innings at 65.37 to claim the orange cap.
The total looked doable for the Capitals but they lost regular wickets as MI’s intensity in the field was backed up by some smart bowling.
Kiwi leg-spinner Kerr snaffled the wickets of Jonassen and Rodrigues to finish as the WPL’s joint top wicket-taker with Matthews on 18 victims, but at a slightly better average to take the purple cap.
But it was England vice-captain Sciver-Brunt who showed nerves of steel with the ball at the business end of the game as she first removed Kapp, then outfoxed the big-hitting Niki Prasad in the final over.
The ultra-competitive Kapp was in tears afterwards with Capitals left to rue their third consecutive defeat in a WPL final as MI’s lifted the trophy with franchise owner Nita Ambani.
