WPL | RCB crash out as Shafali Verma’s blitz powers Delhi Capitals to knockouts

Bengaluru: Shafali Verma smacked 80 not out as Delhi Capitals registered a commanding nine-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru to qualify for the Women’s Premier League knockouts here on Saturday.

For defending champions RCB, this was their fourth consecutive defeat at their home venue of M Chinnaswamy Stadium here.

After Ellyse Perry’s fourth fifty (60 not out) of the season took RCB to a competitive 147/5, DC batters Shafali (80 not out) and Jess Jonassen (61 not out) brushed aside the challenge without much ado.

Chasing 148 to win, DC prevailed with nine wickets in hand and 4.5 overs to spare, consolidating their position at the top of the WPL table with 10 points from seven matches, thanks to five wins and two losses.

They became the first team to reach the playoffs.

Delhi Capitals had, in fact, handed a similar thrashing to Mumbai Indians here on Friday.

RCB, on the other hand, slipped to fourth position with only two wins so far in six matches.

Shafali continued to dazzle with her stroke play to make 80 not out off only 43 balls with four sixes and eight fours for her first half-century of the season after falling in 40s thrice in the tournament.

She produced a cracking hit for a six over cover off Georgia Wareham in the 13th over to complete her fifty off 30 balls.

On the other hand, Australia veteran Jonassen produced her second fifty of the season, smacking nine fours and one six to make 61 off only 38 balls to pile up further pressure on RCB.

Earlier, Perry’s 47-ball 60 not out was crucial for RCB as it guided them to 147 for five.

Perry became the competition’s all-time highest run-getter with 895 runs in 23 matches at 63.92, going past Meg Lanning (847 runs in 25 matches).

With this knock, the Australian stalwart also became the leading run-scorer in this year’s WPL with 295 runs in six matches at 98.33.

Perry dropped anchor to help RCB recover from an early blow in the form of skipper Smriti Mandhana (8) and hit her fourth fifty of the season, scoring 60 from 47 balls with three sixes and as many fours.

Perry also forged strong partnerships along the way, adding 44 runs with England’s Danni Wyatt-Hodge (21) for the second wicket and another 68 runs with India’s Raghvi Bisht (33) to consolidate the RCB innings.

While Wyatt-Hodge struck one six and two fours to make 21 off 18 balls, Bisht had a successful outing as she made 33 from 32 balls with two sixes.

For Delhi Capitals, India's Shikha Pandey returned 4-0-28-2, while the uncapped Nallapureddy Charani claimed 4-0-28-2. Marizanne Kapp was once again impressive with the new ball, returning 4-0-18-1 for another measly spell.