3 key factors in Delhi Capitals reaching the WPL 2023 final

The Delhi Capitals (DC) made a strong start to their Women's Premier League (WPL) journey, topping the points table and booking themselves a place in the final of the inaugural edition.

There were minor hiccups along the way, including a batting collapse against the Gujarat Giants and a shellacking at the hands of the Mumbai Indians. The Meg Lanning-led team were dominant for the rest of the competition, though, including in the reverse fixtures against the two teams that beat them.

Just like the other four franchises in the newly launched Indian T20 league, DC picked a number of star Indian internationals and overseas stalwarts. However, there were a few ways in which the Delhi-based franchise outperformed the others, which enabled their rise to the top of the points table.

Here are three major factors in DC's path to the WPL 2023 final.

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#3 Successful auction and strong team depth

Marizanne Kapp - one of the players of the tournament - cost DC just 1.5 crore at the auction.

Unlike some of the more eager franchises at the bidding table, DC exercised restraint in their auction strategy.

They bided their time before going for the Indian capped duo of Jemimah Rodrigues and Shafali Verma at ₹2.2 crore and ₹2 crore respectively. Their next most expensive signing was South African all-rounder Marizanne Kapp at ₹1.5 crore, a solid bargain for the senior international's services in the middle order and with the new ball.

By refraining from splashing out large sums on any individual player, DC could assemble a starting XI entirely comprised of capped international players. This meant they had proven match-winners with bat and ball alone, aside from a smattering of all-rounders who showed their worth from time to time.

DC also made use of USA quick bowler Tara Norris' services as the fifth overseas player - allowed only in the case of players from Associate teams - and reaped rewards. The 24-year-old bagged a historic fifer against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

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#2 Aggressive batting template

Shafali Verma and Meg Lanning forged an iconic opening partnership this season.

RCB recreated history as a franchise, conceding 220+ runs in their first-ever WPL game after doing the same on their IPL debut back in 2008.

Handing them this drubbing in the women's game were the Capitals, on the back of an opening stand that fell one run short of the RCB tally of 163. DC's aggressive top-order batting was a highlight of the win and remained their strength during the league stage.

A relatively lengthy batting order, with striking ability down to Arundhati Reddy at No. 8, allowed the top order to go hard. Shafali Verma (SR 182.57) and Alice Capsey (SR 159) epitomized this approach, with Arundhati Reddy, Jess Jonassen and skipper Meg Lanning all part of the league's top 15 batters in terms of strike rate.

Although DC did slump to two low totals during the WPL 2023 league phase, their margins of victory boosted their net run rate and allowed them a direct path to the final.

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#1 Quick bowling skill

USA's Tara Norris showed her range of abilities in her first WPL stint.

The maiden edition of the WPL has seen some impressive spells of quick bowling, with the likes of Ellyse Perry and Shabnim Ismail cranking up the speed gun to numbers rarely seen in the women's game.

Two out of three of the fifers in the tournament thus far belong to DC's pace bowlers - Marizanne Kapp and Tara Norris. Overall, while several teams have relied on finger-spinners to get the job done at various stages of the bowling innings, DC's strength has been a number of pace-bowling options.

Shikha Pandey and Arundhati Reddy, experienced India internationals, matched well with Kapp and Norris to test the opposition batters' technique. Captain Lanning's bowling changes ensured the pacers and world-class spinners were rotated effectively, such that the quicks prospered.

Pandey and Kapp both feature in the WPL's top 10 wicket-takers and played a huge role in DC finishing on top.