Finalists of the inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians will go head-to-head in the curtain-raiser of the 2nd edition of the tournament at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore. The game is slated for the 23rd of February, 2024, at 7:30 PM Indian Standard Time (IST).
Squads:
Delhi Capitals – Meg Lanning* (C), Marizanne Kapp*, Aparna Mondal, Sneha Deepthi, Alice Capsey*, Titas Sadhu, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Radha Yadav, Minnu Mani, Ashwani Kumari, Arundhati Reddy, Taniya Bhatia, Laura Harris*, Shikha Pandey, Jess Jonassen*, Poonam Yadav, Annabel Sutherland*
Mumbai Indians – Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Yastika Bhatia, Hayley Matthews*, Fatima Jaffer, Shabnim Ismail*, Issy Wong*, Amandeep Kaur, Saika Ishaque, Priyanka Bala, Humaira Kazi, Amelia Kerr*, Sathyamoorthy Balakrishnan Keerthana, Sajeevan Sajana, Pooja Vastrakar, Nat Sciver-Brunt*, Jintimani Kalita, Amanjot Kaur, Chloe Tryon*
Players to watch out:
Shafali Verma
The 20-year-old opening batter amassed 252 runs, including the highest score of 84, at a strike rate of 185.29, from 9 games last season. Shafali was in fine form throughout the domestic season and in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy, striking at 204.86, registering 215 runs from 7 outings, while also taking 10 wickets. On a good batting wicket, it’ll be hoped she capitalizes on this form.
Poonam Yadav
The 32-year-old leg-spinner went wicketless in her couple of WPL outings last edition and, being sidelined from the national setup since 2022, she raised her stocks in domestic cricket. Poonam scalped 17 wickets from 11 T20 games this domestic season and remained economical. The little spin on purchase should have her in the game, and it’ll be expected of her to lead the tally.
Amelia Kerr
The 23-year-old all-rounder in the WPL last year accumulated 149 runs from 7 innings at a strike rate of 133.03 and bagged 15 wickets from 10 outings. In the lead-up to the tournament, Amelia, with 437 runs at an average of 72.83 and 20 wickets at an average of 8.95, finished as the leading run-scorer and wicket-taker in the Smash. Given the form she is in, she’ll be counted on for the goods.
Pooja Vastrakar
The 24-year-old pacer was underutilized last season, bowling only 4 overs yet claiming a couple of wickets, while chipped in scoring 71 runs from 4 outings. Lately, Pooja has been bowling at her best, and in the T20I series against Australia, she returned figures of 0/28 (2), 1/8 (2), and 1/26 (3.4). She can be lethal early on with the ball on this wicket and will be relied upon for an all-round effort.
Pitch:
The 22-yard strip at Chinnaswamy Stadium is relatively balanced with an average score in the 140s. While conditions are conducive for batting, the wicket also offers assistance to bowlers, both spinners and pacers, as reflected in the average score.
Weather:
The conditions at Bangalore are forecasted to be clear and pleasant for cricket, promising a complete game of cricket. The temperature is expected to hover around 26°C, with light winds and humidity of 43%.
Fantasy playing XI:
Yastika Bhatia, Shafali Verma, Meg Lanning, Marizanne Kapp, Jemimah Rodrigues, Amelia Kerr, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Pooja Vastrakar, Saika Ishaque, Annabel Sutherland, Poonam Yadav
Match details:
Date – February 23, 2024
Time – 7:30 PM IST
Venue – Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Broadcast – The game will be live-streamed on Jio Cinema and telecasted on Sports18.