The second match of the third edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) will take place on February 15, 2025, featuring a high-octane clash between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals at the Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara. The match is scheduled to start at 7:30 PM IST.
These two teams have delivered several thrilling encounters in previous editions, including the unforgettable final of the inaugural season and Sajeevan Sajana’s last-ball six. In their five meetings so far, Mumbai Indians have emerged victorious thrice, while Delhi Capitals have won twice.
Squads:
Mumbai Indians
Akshita Maheshwari, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Parunika Sisodia, Amandeep Kaur, Hayley Matthews, Saika Ishaque, Amanjot Kaur, Jintimani Kalita, Sajeevan Sajana, Melie Kerr, Keerthana Balakrishnan, Sanskriti Gupta, Chloe Tryon, Nadine De Klerk, Shabnim Ismail, G Kamalini, Natalie Sciver-Brunt, Yastika Bhatia
Delhi Capitals
Alice Capsey, Meg Lanning (C), Sarah Bryce, Annabel Sutherland, Minnu Mani, Shafali Verma, Arundhati Reddy, N Charani, Shikha Pandey, Jemimah Rodrigues, Nandini Kashyap, Sneha Deepthi, Jess Jonassen, Nikki Prasad, Taniyaa Bhatia, Marizanne Kapp, Radha Yadav, Titas Sadhu
Players to watch out:
Harmanpreet Kaur
The Indian captain has an impressive WPL record, amassing 549 runs in 17 matches with the highest score of 95*. However, a recent injury kept her out of the T20I series against the West Indies. It is hoped she will pick up where she left off, delivering the goods for the Mumbai Indians.
Melie Kerr
The ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year 2024 has played 19 WPL matches, scoring 364 runs (best: 45*) and taking 22 wickets (best: 4/17). She was the leading run-scorer in the recently concluded Super Smash, accumulating 441 runs from 12 matches while also claiming 15 wickets, and she can be trusted to maintain this momentum.
Shafali Verma
After recently losing her spot in the national team, Shafali will be eager to make a statement. She boasts a strong WPL record with 561 runs in 18 matches at a staggering strike rate of 168.46, with a top score of 84. In her last international T20I appearance at the World Cup, she registered scores of 2, 32, 43, and 20. However, since then, she has racked up runs in domestic cricket and can be relied upon to lead the scoring.
Annabel Sutherland
Though her WPL record isn’t remarkable (55 runs and 4 wickets in 8 matches), Sutherland has been in stellar form recently across longer formats, making her a key player to watch. Her ability to accelerate in the slog overs, anchor the innings if promoted up the order, and provide crucial breakthroughs makes her a match-winner.
Pitch:
The Kotambi Stadium offers a well-balanced surface that slightly favors pacers, with an average innings score of 118. Historically, teams winning the toss prefer to bat first.
Weather:
Vadodara will witness clear skies, with temperatures ranging from 33°C during the day to 18°C at night. Humidity is expected to be around 52%, with winds blowing at 11 kph.
Fantasy Playing XI:
Yastika Bhatia, Meg Lanning, Harmanpreet Kaur, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Hayley Matthews, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Marizanne Kapp, Melie Kerr, Annabel Sutherland, Shikha Pandey
Match details:
Date – February 15, 2025
Time – 7:30 PM IST
Venue – Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara
Broadcast – Live streaming on Disney+ Hotstar; Telecast on Star Sports Network
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