Delhi Capitals coach Jonathan Batty was left reflecting on another soul-crushing loss as their wait for a Women’s Premier League title continued. They became only the second side in women’s franchise cricket to lose four finals, after Brisbane Heat, following their defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the 2026 final.
Speaking after the game, Batty said: “It’s really tough to take. Having played so well in the Eliminator earlier in the week, and coming into this game with momentum, putting a really good score on the board, I was proud with the way we went about our business with the bat. Twenty overs in, you think, ‘okay it’s a good score, if we bowl well here, we’ve got a very good chance.’
“Really disappointing to come out on the wrong end of it again. But full credit to RCB, obviously those two batters, Georgia Voll and Smriti, played absolutely fantastically. But I’m really proud of our team’s effort, to still be in the game there, where it looked like it was drifting for a period of time, to still be in that last over and lose with only two balls to go – I think we showed a lot of fight, a lot of heart. But I think the game kind of summed up our season, that we did certain bits really well and other bits kind of fell away at times as well.
“We’re obviously doing something really right if we’re getting to four finals in a row. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. If you keep putting yourself in the finals, you will win one. I thought today was our day. I really did. Like I said, bringing that momentum in compared to last year when we had a long period of downtime leading into it, that was quite tough for the players to come back and sort of find that form again and that game momentum. Today, I was really proud of the way we went about it. It’s one of those things in sport, there has to be a loser. Unfortunately, it was us again.”
Asked if DC could have done anything in a different manner in the final, Batty felt there were few regrets despite the unfavorable result.
“Look, I think we’ve bowled well at times all through the tournament. I think those two batters played really, really well there. I mean, Smriti’s one of the best batters in the world right now. Georgia’s a high-quality player as well. You know, a batter makes a mistake and lets us into the game. So, no, I’m really proud of the way the bowling unit’s gone for the whole tournament.
“All the way through, you’ve talked about a couple of games where we came out on the wrong side of run chase as well, where it got really close. The margins in T20 cricket are so small. The game is never done. And, you know, 13 runs needed, eight balls I think left in the game, a dot ball there or two, and all of a sudden the pressure ramps up. A batter misses one or mishits it, then you’re right in it. So, no, we knew we still had a chance. But it is horrible to lose in the last over with just a couple of balls to go when the players have poured their heart and soul into it.”