Mumbai Indians are slated to take on Gujarat Giants in match no. 16 of the ongoing 2024 edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) on the 9th of March, 2024. The game will be played at Shri Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi, and live action commences at 7:30 PM Indian Standard Time (IST).
With back-to-back wins, Mumbai had a perfect start to their season, but they have won a couple and lost as many from their previous 4 outings, while the Giants, after 4 straight losses, registered their first win of the season in their most recent outing.
Squads:
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*
Gujarat Giants – Beth Mooney* (C), Phoebe Litchfield*, Lea Tahuhu*, Laura Wolvaardt*, Tanuja Kanwer, 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
Players to watch out:
Harmanpreet Kaur
The 35-year-old batter, striking at 135.09 and averaging 40.14, amassed 281 runs from 9 innings last season. Harmanpreet missed out on a couple of games due to a niggle this season but has been in top form, striking the ball very well. Her scores this season read 55, 46*, 6, and 33, while can also be handy with the ball. Given the form she is in, she can be banked upon for the goods.
Pooja Vastrakar
The 24-year-old pacer sent down only 4 overs last year and bagged a couple of wickets, while with the bat, added 71 runs to the tally from 4 outings. However, Pooja has bowled in all 6 of Mumbai’s games this season, taking 4 wickets at an economy rate of 6.00, and also had a couple of starts with the bat. She’ll be relied upon for all-round efforts.
Phoebe Litchfield
The 20-year-old batter has accumulated 189 runs, at a strike rate of 170.27, from 8 Twenty20 Internationals. Phoebe made her WPL debut with the Giants this season but hasn’t had similar success as she has in international cricket. Nonetheless, in her previous three outings, she has registered scores of 35, 15, and 18, and will be backed to capitalize on them.
Tanuja Kanwer
The 26-year-old all-rounder didn’t have the best of campaigns in the WPL last summer; however, continuing her recent success in domestic cricket, she has been a standout for the team this season. Tanuja has scalped 7 wickets from 5 outings this WPL, while also chipping in with the bat, scoring 45 runs from 3 innings. It’ll be hoped she continues this form, leading the tally.
Pitch:
The Shri Arun Jaitley Stadium offers a good batting deck with an average score in the 150s. However, the wicket poses a challenge for batters throughout the game due to its lively nature, especially against pacers, while spinners also remain in the game.
Weather:
It will be a pleasant day for cricket in Delhi with no expected rain interruptions and partly cloudy skies. The temperature will be around 20°C, with light winds and humidity of 38%.
Fantasy playing XI:
Beth Mooney, Yastika Bhatia, Harmanpreet Kaur, Laura Wolvaardt, Hayley Matthews, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amelia Kerr, Ashleigh Gardner, Shabnim Ismail, Saika Ishaque, Mannat Kashyap
Match details:
Date – March 9, 2024
Time – 7:30 PM IST
Venue – Shri Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
Broadcast – The game will be live-streamed on Jio Cinema and telecasted on Sports18.