The Gujarat Giants are set for their season opener against defending champions Mumbai Indians in match no. three of the ongoing 02 edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL). The two will lock horns at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore, on the 25th of February 2024, at 7:30 PM Indian Standard Time (IST).
Squads:
Gujarat Giants – Beth Mooney* (C), Phoebe Litchfield*, Lea Tahuhu*, Laura Wolvaardt*, Tanuja Kanwar, Mannat Kashyap, Trisha Poojitha, Meghna Singh, Veda Krishnamurthy, Kathryn Bryce*, Sayali Satghare, Dayalan Hemalatha, Shabnam Shakil, Tarannum Pathan, Priya Mishra, Harleen Deol, Ashleigh Gardner*, Sneh Rana
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:
Beth Mooney
The 30-year-old keeper-batter, from 89 Twenty20 International (T20I) outings, has racked up 2764 runs, including the highest of 117*, at a strike rate of 123.50. Beth has been in extraordinary form in the lead-up to this tournament, recording 301 runs from 6 white-ball outings. It’ll be hoped she carries forward the momentum, leading the scoring.
Sayali Satghare
The 23-year-old bowling all-rounder, from 15 domestic T20 outings, claimed 16 wickets and consistently kept a check on her run rate. Sayali bowls with discipline and is more than handy with the bat. It’ll be hoped she replicates the same success in her maiden WPL stint. She’ll be one to watch out for.
Nat Sciver-Brunt
The 31-year-old all-rounder in the WPL last season, from 10 games, amassed 332 runs at a strike rate of 140.08, and also took 10 wickets, at an economy rate of 7.12, with bests being 72* and 3/21. Nat, in the ongoing season opener, departed for 19, while registering figures of 2/33. It’ll be hoped she carries forward this momentum.
SB Keerthana
The 23-year-old leg-spinner debuted for Mumbai in the curtain-raiser of this edition, registering figures of 1/13 (1). However, she will be backed to rediscover her mojo. In the lead-up to the WPL, Keerthana bagged 25 wickets from 13 domestic T20 outings. She’s an exciting spinner and will be worth tracking as this tournament unfolds.
Pitch:
The pitch at Chinnaswamy Stadium is a balanced one. It has a little in for bowlers, especially early in the game for pacers, while batters enjoy the quick outfield. Expect another high-scoring game.
Weather:
Bangalore promises ideal conditions for a complete game of cricket with no expected rain. The temperature is forecasted to hover around 26°C, with light winds and humidity of 58%.
Fantasy playing XI:
Yastika Bhatia, Beth Mooney, Phoebe Litchfield, Harmanpreet Kaur, Amelia Kerr, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Ashleigh Gardner, Sneh Rana, Tanuja Kanwar, Saika Ishaque, Pooja Vastrakar
Match details:
Date – February 25, 2024
Time – 7:30 PM IST
Venue – Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Broadcast – The game will be live-streamed on FanCode and telecasted on Sports18.