Watch: Mumbai Indians debutant Shabnim Ismail kicked off the second edition of the Women’s Premier League by taking out Delhi Capitals’ Shafali Verma’s middle stump early in the tournament opener, in Bengaluru.
Ismail, who played for the UP Warriors last season, hit the ball early in his Michigan debut, brushing off a discolored Verma with the first ball of his second over. Verma tried to lift Ismail to the leg side, but he could not quite cope with the pace and his middle stump fell flat, making him the first player to be eliminated from the 2024 WPL.
According to the broadcaster, after the match, Ismail reached a speed of 128 km/h. This is the same figure achieved during his T20 World Cup in 2023 and is considered the fastest ball in women’s cricket.
Ismail, 35, retired from international cricket last year and continues to play in T20 leagues around the world.
The second season of the WPL will be held entirely between Bengaluru and Delhi, with five teams competing in 20 matches. The DC vs MI match was preceded by an opening ceremony where a number of Bollywood stars performed.
Watch Ismail clean up Verma for first wicket of WPL 2024
CASTLED! 🎯
Shabnim Ismail takes his first wicket of the second season with a brilliant bowling🔥🔥# TATAWPL | #MIvDC | @mipaltan pic.twitter.com/ H7TBL0Klre
– Women’s Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) 23. February 2024
