Shafali Verma and Jess Jonassen smashed half-centuries as Delhi Capitals handed Royal Challengers Bengaluru a fourth consecutive defeat with a commanding nine-wicket win in their WPL 2025 match in Bengaluru on Saturday.
After Ellyse Perry's fourth half-century (60 not out from 47 balls) of the season guided RCB to a competitive 147/5 in their 20 overs, DC batters Shafali and Jonassen ripped apart the RCB bowlers.
Shafali slammed four sixes and eight fours in her 43-ball 80, while Jonassen blazed her way to an entertaining 61 from 38 balls, with a six and nine fours, as the duo put on an unbroken stand of 146 runs from 77 balls.
Chasing 148 to win, DC stormed to victory with nine wickets in hand and 4.5 overs to spare, consolidating their position at the top of the WPL 2025 points table with 10 points from seven games, including five wins and two losses.
Delhi Capitals had, in fact, handed a similar thrashing to Mumbai Indians in their previous match on Friday.
RCB, on the other hand, slipped to fourth position with only two wins so far in six matches.
The defeat for the Smriti Mandhana-led side was fourth in a row for RCB on their home ground at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Shafali continued to dazzle with her strokeplay, hitting the DC bowlers all around the park for her first half-century of the season after falling in 40s thrice in the tournament.
She produced a cracking hit for a six over cover off Georgia Wareham in the 13th over to complete her fifty off 30 balls.
On the other hand, Australia veteran Jonassen produced her second fifty of the season, smacking nine fours and one six to make 61 off only 38 balls to pile up further pressure on RCB.
Earlier, Perry's 47-ball 60 not out was crucial for RCB as it guided them to 147 for five.
Perry not only became the leading run-scorer in the third edition of the WPL but also the league's all-time highest run-getter with 895 runs in 23 matches at 63.92, going past Meg Lanning (847 runs in 25 matches).
With this knock, the Australian stalwart also became the leading run-scorer in this year's WPL with 295 runs in six matches at 98.33.
Perry dropped anchor to help RCB recover from an early blow in the form of skipper Smriti Mandhana (8) and hit her fourth fifty of the season, scoring 60 from 47 balls with three sixes and as many fours.
Perry also forged strong partnerships along the way, adding 44 runs with England's Danni Wyatt-Hodge (21) for the second wicket and another 68 runs with India's Raghvi Bisht (33) to consolidate the RCB innings.
While Wyatt-Hodge struck one six and two fours to make 21 off 18 balls, Bisht had a successful outing as she made 33 from 32 balls with two sixes.
For Delhi Capitals, India's Shikha Pandey took 2/28, while the uncapped Nallapureddy Charani claimed2/28. Marizanne Kapp was once again impressive with the new ball, returning 1/18 in four overs for another measly spell.
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