In the high-octane world of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), the final six deliveries often transform from a mere formality into a psychological battlefield. While T20 cricket is increasingly dominated by explosive power-hitters, the league has witnessed a handful of bowlers who have mastered the art of the death-over choke.

Defending a double-digit score is a challenge, but successfully guarding a single-digit target requires nerves of steel and tactical genius. From the inaugural seasons to the high-stakes thrillers of 2026, certain players have etched their names in WPL history by pulling off the unthinkable.

Top 5 final over defenses in WPL

1. Sophie Devine (GG) vs DC – 6 Runs (2026)

In what is widely regarded as the most clinical display of death bowling in WPL history, Sophie Devine defended a meager 6 runs against the Delhi Capitals at the DY Patil Stadium in January 2026. After smashing a brilliant 95 with the bat, Devine took the ball with DC needing just a run-a-ball. Displaying veteran composure, she utilized deceptive slower balls to dismiss a set Laura Wolvaardt and Jemimah Rodrigues, conceding only two runs and sealing a 4-run victory for the Gujarat Giants.

2. Sophie Devine (GG) vs DC – 8 Runs (2026)

Proving that her previous heroics were no fluke, Devine repeated the feat just 16 days later in Vadodara. This time, she had 8 runs to play with. Facing a surging partnership between Niki Prasad and Sneh Rana, Devine leaned on her experience to dry up the boundaries. She trapped Rana LBW and forced a desperate Prasad into a mishit on the final ball, successfully defending the total and securing a 3-run win.

Also READ: WPL 2026: Niki Prasad and Sneh Rana’s fight in vain as Sophie Devine does it again for Gujarat Giants against Delhi Capitals

3. Grace Harris (UPW) vs DC – 9 Runs (2024)

The Arun Jaitley Stadium witnessed pure chaos in 2024 when Grace Harris was tasked with defending 9 runs. The over started disastrously as Radha Yadav smashed a six on the first ball, leaving DC needing just 3 runs from 5 balls. However, Harris, who hadn’t bowled a single over earlier in the match, orchestrated a miracle. She claimed two wickets and initiated a run-out in the next four balls, sensationally winning the game for UP Warriorz by a single run.

4. Sophie Molineux (RCB) vs UPW – 10 Runs (2024)

During RCB’s opening game of the 2024 season in Bengaluru, the pressure was immense. Sophie Molineux stepped up to defend 10 runs against the dangerous Deepti Sharma. Despite Deepti finding the boundary on the fifth ball to keep the game alive, Molineux’s ability to cram the batter for space on the final delivery ensured RCB escaped with a 2-run win, setting the tone for their eventual championship run.

5. Asha Sobhana (RCB) vs MI – 11 Runs (2024)

In the 2024 Eliminator, uncapped veteran Asha Sobhana faced the ultimate test: defending 11 runs against the defending champions, Mumbai Indians. Bowling her flighted leg-spin against Amelia Kerr and Pooja Vastrakar, Sobhana showed remarkable temperament. She conceded only six runs and dismissed Vastrakar, unleashing her iconic “Cristiano Ronaldo” celebration as RCB marched into their first-ever final.

Also READ: WPL 2026: Historic hundred by Nat Sciver-Brunt guides Mumbai Indians to victory against RCB

This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.

Mumbai: Silver, the precious metal that has been witnessing an unprecedented rally for over two years, on Thursday breached above the Rs 4-lakh/kg price level for the first time in history as geopolitical tensions kept international prices of the white metal on the boil.Gold, the more precious of the two, which is also witnessing a more than a year-long rally, went above the Rs 1.8 lakh/10gm mark on MCX.In the international market, silver prices rallied above the $120/ounce (Oz) mark, while gold prices broke above the $5,600/Oz mark, both for the first time in its history. However, silver dropped by 6% and gold by 4% as investors booked profits after record highs.On MCX, in late trades, gold futures contracts for Feb delivery were trading at Rs 1.75 lakh level with the day’s high at almost Rs 1.81 lakh. With the Feb contracts nearing expiry, April futures were the most traded ones on Thursday with the day’s high at Rs 1.93 lakh.Also on MCX, silver contracts for March were trading at Rs 4.2 lakh, at the highest price logged on Thursday.According to Rahul Kalantri, VP Commodities, Mehta Equities, gold extended its record-breaking rally on Thursday as investors increased their demand for safe-haven assets in the backdrop of mounting geopolitical and economic uncertainty. Silver also strengthened due to similar reasons.On Thursday, these metals rallied further despite the US Federal Reserve’s decision to leave interest rates unchanged, reinforcing expectations of prolonged monetary support, Kalantri said. “Investors are increasingly shifting away from paper currencies and moving toward tangible assets such as precious metals. Meanwhile, geopolitical uncertainty rose after the US President Donald Trump urged Iran to reach a nuclear deal, warning that any future US military response could be far more severe.”

Kolhapur: Taradgaon village in Satara’s Phaltan tehsil was cloaked in a pall of gloom as the mortal remains of Vidip Jadhav (37), a personal security officer (PSO) of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, were brought to his ancestral village on Wednesday night, nearly 14 hours after the air crash at Baramati.A 2009-batch police constable, Jadhav, who was also known as ‘Ajit Pawar’s shadow’, was cremated with full state honours around 11.45pm on Thursday.At the funeral, his childhood friends said they could not recall when Jadhav, lovingly known as Balu, became ‘Balasaheb’. Jadhav, who lived in Kalwa with his aged parents, wife, a nine-year-old son and a 14-year-old daughter, had told his friends that he would come home to cast his vote for the upcoming zilla parishad elections.Jadhav studied till class X in his village and after class XII, he joined a preparatory academy. In 2009, he joined the Mumbai Police at just 20 years of age. Broad-built and imposing in appearance, he was selected as a PSO for a high court judge the same year. Jadhav was part of Devendra Fadnavis’s personal security team from 2014 to 2019, and thereafter served Ajit Pawar as PSO.As Jadhav would have a tight work schedule, his friends would urge him to go back to a nine-hour duty as a policeman, but he would refuse, saying he “liked to protect VIPs”.Jadhav’s friend, Harish Chavan, who works for an IT company in Hinjewadi, said: “He was a selfless person. He used to help even strangers if friends or relatives requested him to do so…sometimes he would take us to meet Ajitdada…Ajitdada was fond of him…”Jadhav’s father is a retired school employee, and his mother is a homemaker. His wife, a pharma graduate, works in a private company.

Pakistan’s Saim Ayub plays a shot during the first T20 cricket match between Pakistan and Australia, in Lahore, Pakistan, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (AP Photo)

LAHORE: All-rounder Saim Ayub starred in Pakistan’s spin-assisted 22-run win over Australia in the first Twenty20 international in Lahore on Thursday.Ayub top-scored in Pakistan’s 168-8 with a 22-ball 40 that included two sixes and three fours, while Salman Agha added four sixes and a four in his 27-ball 39.The tourists managed 146-8 in their 20 overs with spinners taking six wickets for Pakistan.

With the ball, Ayub dismissed Australian openers Matthew Short (five) and Travis Head, who hit two sixes and two fours in his 13-ball 23. Cameroon Green resisted with a 31-ball 36 but Australia succumbed to spin with Abrar Ahmed taking 2-10 while Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan took a wicket apiece.Both teams were tuning up for the Twenty20 World Cup starting in India and Sri Lanka from February 7.Pakistan skipper Agha praised a team effort.“It was a great game with complete team effort,” said Agha. “We started well with the bat but couldn’t finish the way we wanted.“It became challenging after the first 10 overs as the ball stopped coming onto the bat, but I think we were outstanding with the ball.”Head, standing in for regular skipper Mitchell Marsh who rested, showed disappointment over batting. “It was disappointing, but that’s how batting goes sometimes,” said Head. “We felt like we dragged it back well after the first 10 overs but as the ball got softer, it became harder to score.”Earlier, Ayub led Pakistan’s batting after the home team won the toss and chose to bat.Paceman Xavier Bartlett jolted Pakistan by dismissing Sahibzada Farhan with the first ball of the match.But Ayub and Agha restored the innings with a second wicket stand of 74, but spinner Adam Zampa put the brakes on Pakistan’s progress with 4-24.Zampa dismissed both Ayub and Agha in successive overs before accounting for Babar Azam (24) and Usman Khan (18).Debutant Mahli Beardman finished with 2-33 as Pakistan managed just 31 in the last five overs.The last two matches are on Saturday and Sunday, also in Lahore.

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New Delhi: As Republic Day celebrations drew to a close with the Beating Retreat ceremony, Vijay Chowk reverberated with three of composer AR Rahman’s iconic songs – Oscar-winning ‘Jai ho’, ‘Bharat humko jaan se pyaara hai’ and ‘Ma tujhe salaam’.Earlier this month, when asked about his absence from Hindi-film music during an interview with BBC Asian Network, Rahman said, “It might be a communal thing also… but it is not in my face”. He later said that intentions could be “misundersood sometimes” and that he was grateful to the country.While the Central Armed Police Forces band performed “Jai Ho”, the Indian Navy band played ‘Bharat humko…’. The song ‘Aarambh hai prachand’ from the movie Gulaal was played by the Indian Army band. Vande Mataram on its 150th anniversary and Operation Sindoor were featured prominently during the ceremony on Thursday evening, which was presided over by President Droupadi Murmu, who arrived in the ceremonial buggy. Vice-President CP Radhakrishnan, PM Narendra Modi, defence minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, and the three service chiefs were also present.The bands stood various formations that included ‘Amar Jawan’: a tribute to Indian Army bravehearts, ‘Deva Vyuha: a battle formation referred to in Mahabharata battle formation against Bhishm Pitamah and ‘Ardhachandra Vyuha’: a half-moon battle formation.LED screens placed at the venue also showed a video clip of a BrahMos missile hitting a target; instruments of several band members were wrapped with LEDs on which the logo of Op Sindoor shone. Images of Rafale, Tejas, Su-30, BrahMos, S-400 air defence system, Netra, Prachand and C-130 also played on the screens.Later, the PM shared the glimpses from Beating Retreat 2026, saying that “performances by the various bands were memorable”.In a series of posts on X, Modi said: “Air Force Band was exceptional… They performed ‘Brave Warrior’, ‘Twilight’, ‘Alert (Post Horn Gallop)’ and ‘Flying Star’ impeccably. The Sindoor formation was brilliant!”On the naval band, he posted, “Simply outstanding! The Naval Band’s performances included ‘Namaste’, ‘Sagar Pawan’, ‘Matribhumi’, ‘Tejasvi’ and ‘Jai Bharati’. The Matsya Yantra formation was flawless.”