Meg Lanning’s Missed Dream: Royal Challengers Bangalore Defeat Delhi Capitals in Women’s Premier League 2024 Final

Meg Lanning, the esteemed Australian cricketer who led her national team to triumph in five ICC Women's World Cup competitions, had hoped to secure the Women's Premier League (WPL) title for the Delhi Capitals on Sunday. However, her dream was shattered as the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captained by Smriti Mandhana emerged victorious, denying Lanning yet another trophy.

Lanning began her international career at the age of 21, taking the helm of the Australian women’s team in 2014. She holds the prestigious title of Australia‘s most successful women’s captain, having secured a total of seven ICC Women’s World Cup trophies, with five won under her captaincy.

Throughout her illustrious 13-year international career, Lanning clinched five ICC Women’s T20 World Cup titles and two ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup trophies. Her leadership role began at a crucial juncture in 2014 when she became the youngest captain of the women’s team. Victory followed her swift rise as she guided Australia to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup title in the same year, solidifying her position as a formidable leader.

Lanning’s captaincy saw Australia triumph in the Women’s T20 World Cup in 2014, 2018, 2020, and 2023, along with the Women’s Cricket World Cup in 2022. Her feat of leading the Australia national team to numerous World Cup victories stands unmatched, making her the first captain to achieve such honors in both men’s and women’s cricket.

In a disappointing turn, Lanning missed the opportunity to claim yet another trophy by defeating RCB on Sunday in the WPL final with Delhi Capitals. Despite her remarkable career achievements, Lanning’s performance in the final fell short, leaving her without another title to her name.

Having retired from international cricket last November, Lanning concluded her exceptional international career with 241 matches played. She amassed over 8000 runs for Australia across all formats and captained the Australian team in 182 matches.