New Delhi, 18 January 2026: It was a challenging night at the D.Y. Patil Stadium as we came up just short against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
India’s favourite friends turned friendly rivals took the field last night, when Jemimah Rodrigues and Smriti Mandhana faced off. Smriti won the toss and opted to bowl first, sending us into bat. The start was a bit rocky, as we found ourselves at 10/4, but Shafali Verma took charge and began rebuilding DC’s innings alongside Niki Prasad and Sneh Rana.
Shafali then shifted into another gear, powering her way to 64 runs off 41 balls. Making her debut for DC, 19-year-old English talent Lucy Hamilton hit the ground running, scoring 36 runs off 19 balls, including three boundaries and three sixes, helping us post a competitive total of 166.
While RCB’s batting depth proved strong in the chase, the innings from Shafali and Lucy showcased immense patience, skill, and a never-give-up attitude, qualities that give us plenty of confidence moving forward.
With our fixtures in Navi Mumbai now complete, we turn our focus to the second leg of the tournament in Vadodara. The team will be looking to bounce back in our next match against the Mumbai Indians on Tuesday, 20 January at Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara.
