Vadodara, Jan 25 (IANS) Delhi Capitals off-spin bowling all-rounder Minnu Mani lauded her side’s disciplined bowling effort after their comprehensive seven-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the 2026 WPL, saying the team stuck to its plans on a slow surface at the BCA Stadium.
Electing to field first, DC’s bowlers made full use of the conditions to dismiss RCB for 109. Nandni Sharma spearheaded the attack with figures of 3-26, including two wickets in the final over and retained the Purple Cap with 13 scalps in the tournament.
Marizanne Kapp (2-17), Chinelle Henry (2-22) and Minnu Mani (2-18) chipped in with disciplined spells to keep RCB in check. Chasing 110, DC overcame early losses before skipper Jemimah Rodrigues and Laura Wolvaardt steadied the innings through a 52-run stand.
Laura remained unbeaten on 42, while Jemimah contributed 24, as DC completed the chase with seven wickets in hand. “We were very clear with our plans going into the game because we knew the wicket here would be slow and low. As a bowling unit, we focused on hitting the right lengths and not trying to do too much. Everyone stuck to their roles, and the way we executed our plans collectively made a big difference,” said Minnu in a release by the franchise at the conclusion of the game.
She threw further light on how DC kept things tight with the ball. “On pitches like this, patience becomes very important. You cannot expect wickets straight away, but if you keep things tight and force batters to take risks, chances will come. As spinners, our job was to control the middle overs, mix up pace and make it difficult to score freely, and I think we did that really well here.”
Opening up about her own performance in the match, where her dismissal of RCB captain Smriti Mandhana triggered a downfall and recent improvements, Minnu said, “In the earlier games, my execution was not where I wanted it to be, even though the effort was there. I kept working on it in training and trusted what the coaches were telling me. Here, things clicked better at a crucial moment, and I am really happy that I could contribute when the team needed it.”
DC will next face Gujarat Giants in their next game on Tuesday, as they look to build on the momentum from back-to-back victories and seal a spot in the playoffs. “Winning back-to-back matches definitely gives you confidence, but more importantly, it shows that we are learning as a group. Even when we were under pressure in different phases of the game, we stayed calm and trusted our process. That is something we want to carry forward,” concluded Minnu.
–IANS
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