NEW DELHI: Shafali Verma‘s sizzling 80 not out on Saturday powered Delhi Capitals to a dominant nine-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Women’s Premier League match in Bengaluru.
RCB posted 147 for 5, featuring Ellyse Perry’s unbeaten 60, but DC’s Shafali and Jess Jonassen easily chased down the target.
DC reached their target of 148 with 4.5 overs remaining, losing just one wicket. With the win Delhi became the first team to qualify for the play-offs in this edition.
The victory followed DC’s similar commanding performance against Mumbai Indians the previous day.
RCB dropped to fourth place with only two wins in six matches, marking their fourth consecutive defeat at their home ground, M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Shafali scored her first fifty of the season, reaching 80 not out from 43 balls. Her innings included four sixes and eight fours.
She reached her half-century with a six over cover off Georgia Wareham in the 13th over, taking just 30 balls.
Jonassen contributed significantly with her second fifty of the season, scoring 61 not out from 38 balls with nine fours and one six.
Earlier, Perry’s unbeaten 60 off 47 balls was crucial in RCB’s total of 147 for five.
The Australian all-rounder became both the leading run-scorer in this WPL season and the tournament’s all-time highest run-getter with 895 runs in 23 matches.
Perry’s current season statistics show 295 runs in six matches at an average of 98.33.
She helped RCB recover after losing captain Smriti Mandhana early, forming important partnerships with Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Raghvi Bisht.
Wyatt-Hodge scored 21 from 18 balls, while Bisht contributed 33 from 32 balls with two sixes.
Delhi Capitals’ bowling attack was led by Shikha Pandey and Nallapureddy Charani, who both took two wickets while conceding 28 runs each.
Marizanne Kapp delivered an economical spell, taking one wicket and conceding just 18 runs in her four overs.
