Harmanpreet after winning WPL final: 'Now I know what it feels like to be winning'

India captain Harmanpreet Kaur has expressed her delight about finally crossing the final barrier of a tournament.

Having lost a couple of finals with the women's Indian team, Harmanpreet captained Mumbai Indians (MI) women to the inaugural Women's Premier League (WPL) title on Sunday. MI defeated Delhi Capitals (DC) by seven wickets at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.

In a post-match interview after the historic final, Harmanpreet could not stop smiling as he breathed a sigh of relief by finally winning a trophy.

"Great experience, we were waiting for so many years. Everyone enjoyed this throughout the dressing room. It feels like a dream, for everyone here. So many people were asking when WPL will come and that day is here, and we are so happy and proud.

"I think having a long batting line-up, we had to go there and express. Very happy with how everyone performed. I think staying positive is key, we were lucky with full tosses going in our favour," said Harmanpreet at the post-match presentation ceremony.

When DC went nine down for just 79 runs in the first innings in the WPL 2023 final, it looked like it would end up being one of those one-sided affairs, but Delhi's Shikha Pandey (17-ball 27*) and Radha Yadav (12-ball 27*) had other ideas. The two batters put up 52 runs in 24 balls for the last wicket and took their side to a competitive total of 131 for 9.

In reply to that, MI lost Hayley Matthews and Yastika Bhatia inside four overs but Nat Sciver-Brunt (55-ball 60*) and Harmanpreet (39-ball 37) added 72 runs for the third wicket. While Harmanpreet couldn't finish the job for Mumbai, Sciver-Brunt did.

"This is a special moment for all of us, I have been waiting a long time and today I know what it feels like to be winning (laughs). Great experience and waiting for next year," added Harmanpreet.

England's Sciver-Brunt scored a match-winning half-century and earned the Player of the Match award. She scored an unbeaten 60 off 55 balls as he produced a composed knock in a tense run chase. Sciver-Brunt also finished the tournament as the second-highest run-getter, scoring 332 runs in 10 innings at an average of 66.40 and a strike rate of 140.08. The 30-year-old England national also bagged 10 wickets.

"It was very special. Glad I was able to stick it out when the pressure was on. I was trying to get quite tough and Harman and Melie (Amelia Kerr) took the pressure off me. I knew if I stayed till the end we'd get through," said Sciver-Brunt.

"We gave away too many in the final 3-4 overs, but it made the game interesting. (Winning the trophy) means everything, coming together with a special group of girls with the Mumbai Indians, really special moment," the English all-rounder added.

Meanwhile, West Indies' Hayley Matthews was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. The bowling all-rounder not just claimed 16 wickets (joint-highest) at an average of 12.62 but also scored 271 runs at an average of just over 30.

"It is crazy, hopefully, the first of many. We have been through a lot of ups and downs, happy to win it in the end. To create history and bring it home is great. Happy to contribute, being able to do things with both bat and ball. Important to take back the award but more happy to win with Mumbai Indians," said Matthews.