'I thought it was fantastic captaincy' - DC head coach applauds Meg Lanning's leadership in WPL 2024

In a thrilling Women's Premier League (WPL) final clash, the Delhi Capitals (DC) women's team, under the leadership of Meg Lanning, showcased an impressive display despite facing defeat against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

After the game, head coach Jonathan Batty commended Lanning's captaincy, particularly in defending a modest target of 114 runs.

"I guess she felt that the seamers were keeping the batters under control. Trying to take the game as deep as possible with only a small total on the board. If anything it worked. I thought it was fantastic captaincy; a lot of people would not have done that, would not have been brave enough to do that. So full credit to Meg for doing that and nearly getting us home in the end," DC head coach Jonathan Batty said after the WPL 2024 final, as quoted by Hindustan Times.

Despite an outstanding performance throughout the tournament, DC fell short in the final moments, with RCB clinching victory with only three balls remaining. Lanning, one of the top scorers of the season, along with Shafali Varma, started the innings dominantly. However, a crucial eighth over by Sophie Molineux turned the tables, causing a setback for DC.

DC's journey in the WPL has been commendable, topping the league table for two consecutive seasons and securing a spot in the finals. Yet, they've been unable to secure any silverware, a situation unfamiliar to Lanning given her illustrious record as Australia's former captain.

She puts her heart and soul into this competition at Delhi Capitals: Batty

Reflecting on the defeat, Batty acknowledged the team's disappointment and said they were all disappointed and felt that they didn't do themselves justice today.

"She puts her heart and soul into this competition at Delhi Capitals. She's been fantastic. I guess she is disappointed as we all are, we felt we didn't do ourselves justice today. We have been brilliant all tournament, full credit to RCB for winning tonight," Batty added.

Batty, despite the defeat, expressed confidence in DC's performance, emphasizing the exceptional batting display throughout the tournament. He asserted that DC have been one of the standout teams, highlighting the remarkable performance of their batters.

Also Read: RCB becomes fastest Instagram post to 1M likes, reaches milestone in nine minutes

"We back our batters to play really aggressive, positive cricket as we have done all tournament. The margins are so small. Those batters who got out in the middle phase in the innings, they get a bat on one of those and it goes for four runs, we get 150 or 180 and it's a completely different game," Batty said.

They have been fantastic all tournament, I think we have been one of the standout teams to finish at the top of the table, and our batters have been absolutely amazing," Batty added further.