WPL 2023, RCB vs DC: Meg Lanning hammers 43-ball 72

Delhi Capitals captain Meg Lanning led by example in their first encounter of the 2023 Women's Premier League (WPL) against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai. She hammered a 43-ball 72 (14 fours) and shared a 162-run stand with Shafali Verma for the first wicket after RCB invited DC to bat. Lanning and Shafali shared the first century-plus partnership of the WPL.

Aussie skipper Lanning smoked a 43-ball 72. She slammed 14 fours, striking at 167.44. She brought up her maiden WPL fifty off 30 balls in the 11th over bowled by Heather Knight. Her compatriot Shafali brought up her fifty off just 31 balls and then continued to excel with her flair for hitting boundaries. She struck 10 fours and four sixes (SR:186.67).

Lanning, who recently guided Australia to the ICC Women's T20 World Cup title, fetched a sum of Rs. 1 crore at the 2023 WPL player auction. She would now look to emulate her success in DC colors.

Lanning is the only skipper across men's and women's cricket to clinch five ICC titles as skipper. Under her leadership, Australia lifted the ICC Women's T20 World Cup titles in 2014, 2018, 2020, and 2023. Last year, she guided the Aussies to the ODI World Cup glory. With Australia's win in the 2023 T20 WC, Lanning overtook Ricky Ponting, who owns four such titles.