Deepti Sharma's over showed how to snatch victory from jaws of defeat: Reema Malhotra

The UP Warriorz pulled off a 1-run win over the Delhi Capitals in a match of the WPL 2024 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Friday, defending a modest 138 runs. JioCinema and Sports18 WPL experts Reema Malhotra and Sushma Verma discussed Warriorz’ win and the all-round performance of Deepti Sharma (59 runs & 4/19, including a hat-trick) on ‘Match Centre Live’. Excerpts:

Reema Malhotra speaks on Deepti Sharma’s bowling: “I wanted to leave the commentary box and go onto the pitch dancing. Her over showed how to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. She had a wicket on the last ball of one over and then two wickets on the first two balls of the next. She’s the first Indian to record a hat-trick in the WPL. It was a match-winning over. Delhi Capitals could have become the first team to qualify for the playoffs with a win but Deepti Sharma’s intentions were bold.”

Sushma Verma on Deepti's batting: “Where she came to bat was a big factor. She was carrying the confidence from the previous game. As a batter, your individual performances give you confidence and bring you to a new level, and Deepti showed that level today. She grabbed the opportunity with both hands. This is the kind of batting UP needed.”

Verma on UP Warriorz’ win: “UP deserves credit for their comeback led by Deepti’s all-around performance. She stood out extraordinarily on the scoreboard. If we talk about everyone else, there’s a saying that defending is about teamwork. Sophie Ecclestone’s bowling was excellent. Saima Thakor brought them crucial wickets as well. Overall, it was a great bowling performance. Defending a low total like this is not something we see often. This is the first time such a total has been defended in the WPL.”