The second iteration of the Women’s Premier League is set for an electric opening here on Friday with defending champion Mumbai Indians going up against last year’s runner-up Delhi Capitals.
The Meg Lanning-led Capitals lost only three games last season, two of which were against the Harmanpreet Kaur’s MI including the final.
Lanning and Shafali Verma were an endearing pair for the franchise last season with a haul of 479 runs together for the first wicket, including five fifty-plus partnerships.
Their best showing was a mammoth 162-run stand in just 14.3 overs against Royal Challengers Bangalore enroute a 60-run drubbing of the latter.
South African quick Marizanne Kapp, who missed the recent Test against Australia due to illness, will be fresh to take charge as the side’s strike bowler. Shikha Pandey and in-form Poonam Yadav will hope to support her ably, while Titas Sadhu — after her international promise — will finally hope to earn her maiden cap.
In the Mumbai fold, West Indian allrounder Hayley Matthews and England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt hold the key to the side’s success.
The team will closely watch Harmanpreet’s run with the bat. The Indian skipper has hit a rough patch and did not reach a double-digit score in her last seven international appearances.
The Mumbai outfit is spoilt for choice in the bowling department. Memories of Issy Wong wreaking havoc against the Capitals sending back Shafali, Alice Capsey and Jemimah Rodrigues will be fresh for the side.
Saika Ishaque, who had an outing to forget against Australia in the ODI leg of the multi-format series early this year, will look to make amends. She will fancy her chances against Shafali whom she troubled last time.
The M Chinnaswamy Stadium favours teams batting second. In 206 T20 games (IPL and international fixtures), 110 were won by the team batting second. Incidentally, in the three instances of these two teams clashing, the team batting second has come out triumphant.
While the short boundaries here will tempt batters to clear the stands, the bowling unit that can minimise damage might clinch the fixture for its side.
Match begins at 8 p.m.
Match on February 23
Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals
Teams
Mumbai Indians: Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Amanjot Kaur, Amelia Kerr, Chloe Tryon, Hayley Matthews, Humaira Kazi, Issy Wong, Jintimani Kalita, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Pooja Vastrakar, Priyanka Bala, Saika Ishaque, Yastika Bhatia, Shabnim Ismail, S Sajana, Amandeep Kaur, Fatima Jaffer, Keerthana Balakrishnan.
Delhi Capitals: Meg Lanning (Captain), Jemimah Rodrigues, Laura Harris, Shafali Verma, Alice Capsey, Annabel Sutherland, Arundathi Reddy, Ashwani Kumari, Jess Jonassen, Marizanne Kapp, Sneha Deepthi, Minnu Mani, Radha Yadav, Shikha Pandey, Aparna Mondal, Taniyaa Bhatia, Poonam Yadav, Titas Sadhu.
