WPL Preview: Title-hungry MI face RCB, DC challenge
Mumbai Indians, led by two-time winner and defending champion Harmanpreet Kaur, will take on Smriti Mandhana’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the only other team to win the title in the WPL, in the tournament opener at the DY Patil Stadium, the ‘home of Indian women’s cricket’.
The fourth WPL will be held in two stages in Navi Mumbai and Vadodara, where players from around the world will compete against the best and boost their preparations for the T20 World Cup scheduled to be held in June-July in England.
MI have the best squad on paper, led by Harmanpreet with England (Nat Sciver-Brunt) and West Indies (Hayley Matthews) captains.
MI, who have the majority of their squad, will be the team to beat with their formidable batting supported by New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr, promising Australian Milly Illingworth and India’s reliable Amanjot Kaur.
With G Kamalini at the top, MI may find themselves facing a selection crunch due to the talent available.
The bowling attack will be led by Shabnim Ismail and Saika Ishaque will also face the challenge of rebounding from a tough few seasons following his impressive start in 2023. With Meg Lanning moving to UP Warriorz, fast Indian batsman Jemimah Rodrigues took charge of the Delhi Capitals team that bore the brunt of tripping over the finish line three times in the finals.
The Capitals have a dangerous roster and one that can go the distance when things don’t go their way.
The Indians include Delhi World Cup champion and in-form opener Shafali Verma, Sneh Rana and Shree Charani, while local talents include Niki Prasad, India spinner Minnu Mani and right-armer Nandani Sharma, the only Indian pacer in the camp.
Delhi’s overseas squad is also impressive; ODI World Cup best batsman and South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt is trying to continue her form.
Marizanne Kapp and Alana King will handle the bowling workload but Annabel Sutherland’s withdrawal has reduced the firepower somewhat.
A lot will depend on how Mandhana pulls off the RCB side while racking up runs at the top in the absence of the legendary Ellyse Perry.
Mandhana’s form has never been a concern and she will feel confident given the talent base the 2024 winners have.
Australia will take on Georgia Voll while all-rounder Grace Harris and South Africa strong all-rounder Nadine de Klerk will share the batting responsibilities. Behind the wickets and for the finishing work, RCB have the explosive Richa Ghosh in their ranks.
India’s Arundhati Reddy, Pooja Vastrakar and England’s Lauren Bell are among RCB’s leading seamers and they also have quality spin bowlers like England’s Linsey Smith, India’s Radha Yadav and Shreyanka Patil.
After a few ordinary seasons, Gujarat Giants managed to make it to the play-offs last year and they will look to do even better this year.
But for the Ashleigh Gardner-led team, overseas stars will have to do the heavy lifting given their lack of a front-line Indian batsman in their ranks.
Renuka Singh Thakur is the biggest Indian star in the camp along with Titas Sadhu and Rajeshwari Gayakwad, and wicketkeeper-batsman Yastika Bhatia is looking for a strong comeback after an injury-related layoff.
But GG has the formidable Gardner at the helm and a few other Aussies around him.
Behind the wickets and top of the order is Beth Mooney, while the legendary White Ferns’ Sophie Devine is back in the WPL mix after missing out last year.
Australia’s Kim Garth could share the new ball with Renuka and Kashvee Gautam; The spin bowling options are Georgia Wareham, Gayakwad and Tanuja Kanwar.
The completely overhauled UP Warriorz have made the right captaincy choice in Lanning but they do not have a specialist goalkeeper apart from Uttar Pradesh’s Shipra Giri.
Phoebe Litchfield at the top gives Warriorz the option of pairing her with India’s Pratika Rawal, the fitness-cleared and even dangerous Kiran Navgire.
Harleen Deol and Lanning can form the middle order but the Warriorz think tank, led by head coach Abhishek Nayar, also needs to find a finisher.
So, among all-rounders, ODI World Cup Player Deepti Sharma, Chloe Tryon, dangerous Deandra Dottin and India’s Shikha Pandey may need to double up.
India’s Kranti Gaud and England’s Sophie Ecclestone will form the mainstay of the bowling attack but it will be vital for the Warriorz to find solutions to some relevant questions.
