Australia's captain marvel Meg Lanning has made a dazzling start to her new leadership role in India's new money-spinning Women's Premier League in Mumbai.
The 30-year-old, fresh from guiding her country to victory in the T20 World Cup in South Africa last weekend, led from the front again on Sunday for WPL franchise Delhi Capitals, with a blistering knock of 72 that set up their emphatic 60-run win over Royal Challengers Bangalore at Brabourne Stadium.
Lanning, who's been at the heart of Australian women's cricket domination for a decade, reckoned that she was relishing her new challenge in the potentially game-changing league, featuring all the best players in the world.
"It was a lot of fun," enthused the seven-time world champ.
"The crowd was amazing, the atmosphere was great and it's nice to start off with a win. It was very important to get some momentum early."
Having been asked to bat on a "belter" of a pitch, Lanning was immediately into her stride, smashing 14 boundaries in her 43-ball innings, while sharing a hugely entertaining opening stand of 162 with teenage Indian star Shafali Verma (84 off 45 balls).
"Shafali was excellent, I enjoyed the show from the other end," Lanning said, praising her 19-year-old partner.
"It was great, we were smiling a lot of the time. That's the great thing about this competition - you get to play alongside players you wouldn't normally and get to learn a lot off them."
With late-innings impetus from South African Marizanne Kapp (39no off 17 balls) and Indian Jemimah Rodrigues (22no off 15), Delhi amassed a mammoth total of 2-223.
Lanning's World Cup-winning colleagues on Bangalore's side took plenty of tap, with Aussie pace bowler Megan Schutt being hammered for 45 off her four wicketless overs.
Smriti Mandhana, the WPL's highest-paid player, offered some hope in Bangalore's response when she smashed 35 off 23 balls, but once she'd been dismissed, it was all downhill for the chasers.
Another Australian world champ Ellyse Perry offered a bit of fight too, hitting 31 off 19 balls but she was bowled by American player of the match Tara Norris, who skittled through their line-up with 5-29 off her four overs.
Schutt smacked a defiant unbeaten 30 off 19 balls at the end of the innings, but they were consolation runs as Bangalore finished well short on 8-163.
