New Delhi, 11 January (H.S.): Delhi Capitals head coach Jonathan Batty staunchly defended his team's batting unit on Sunday, asserting no deficiencies exist despite a crushing 50-run defeat to Mumbai Indians in their Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026 opener. I'm very happy with our batting line-up. It's a fantastic top seven or eight, with Sneha Rana coming in at number eight. This lineup will score plenty of runs throughout the tournament, Batty declared.

The match unfolded Friday at Dr. D.Y. Patil Sports Academy Stadium in Navi Mumbai, where batting first, Mumbai Indians posted a formidable 195/4 in 20 overs. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Nat Sciver-Brunt anchored the innings with brilliant half-centuries, setting a daunting target.

Chasing 196, Delhi Capitals crumbled to 145 all out in 19 overs. Chinelle Henry offered resistance with a brisk 56 off 33 balls, but no other batter crossed 20 runs, exposing vulnerabilities in the middle order.

In the post-match press conference, Batty reflected on bowling efforts: I thought it was a very good wicket. In the first half, we bowled brilliantly in the first ten overs and were quite pleased. We wanted one or two more wickets, but their two outstanding batters built a crucial partnership.

He added, Our plans were solid, and our bowling performance remained strong for about 75 percent of the game. However, lapses at critical junctures allowed the opposition to surge ahead.

Expressing confidence in team combinations and batting order, Batty noted, We always introspect, but there's no doubt about this group's quality. Players like Laura Wolvaardt and Jemimah Rodrigues will undoubtedly deliver in upcoming matches.

Despite the loss, the coach emphasized positives: We've learned many valuable lessons from this game and will certainly improve moving forward. Delhi Capitals face Gujarat Giants next on Sunday at the same venue.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar