The stage is set for an electrifying start to the Women’s Premier League 2024 as Mumbai Indians Women (MI-W) gear up to face Delhi Capitals Women (DC-W) in the tournament opener. Scheduled for Friday, February 23, at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Team Form and Previous Season Recap
Delhi Capitals Women concluded the previous season at the top of the table with an impressive record of six wins in eight matches. Mumbai Indians Women closely followed, securing the second position with an equally commendable six victories out of eight encounters. In their head-to-head clashes last season, Mumbai Indians emerged victorious in two out of three encounters.
Player Retentions and Auction Highlights
Meg Lanning will continue to lead the Capitals, having retained 15 players before the mini-auction and releasing three, including USA pacer Tara Norris. With a budget of INR 2.5 crore, the Capitals strategically acquired Annabel Sutherland for INR 2 crore, along with Aparna Mondal and Ashwani Kumari at their base prices of INR 10 lakh each.
Mumbai Indians Women, with a purse value of INR 2.1 crore, secured the services of experienced pacer Shabnim Ismail for INR 1.2 crore. Additionally, they added S Sajana, Amandeep Kaur, Fatima Jaffer, and Keerthana Balakrishnan to their roster, each at a base price of ₹10 lakh.
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Probable Playing XI
Mumbai Indians Women: Hayley Matthews, Yastika Bhatia (wk), NR Sciver, H Kaur (C), AC Kerr, Amanjot Kaur, P Vastrakar, S Ismail, Jintimani Kalita, Amandeep Kaur, S Ishaque
Delhi Capitals Women: Shafali Verma, MM Lanning (C), JI Rodrigues, M Kapp, Alice Capsey, A Sutherland, S Pandey, T Bhatia (wk), Radha Yadav, Poonam Yadav, Titas Sadhu
Weather and Pitch Analysis
Weather and Pitch Conditions: The weather forecast for the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium predicts clear skies with a temperature of 30.0°C and 36% humidity. The pitch report suggests that the Bengaluru surface might favor bowlers, with an average first innings score of 85 runs in the last five T20 matches. The team winning the toss might opt to bowl first, given the pitch's inclination towards assisting bowlers.
Form Guide (Last 5 Matches) and Expectations
During the first season's regular matches, Mumbai Indians won the first game against Delhi Capitals, but DC turned the tables in the rematch. Both games happened at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. In the first match, bowlers Saika Ishaque, Issy Wong, and Hayley Matthews did great for Mumbai, making Delhi score only 105 runs despite Meg Lanning's 43. Mumbai chased it down easily, thanks to Yastika Bhatia's 41 runs. But in the second match, Delhi's Marizanne Kapp, Shikha Pandey, and Alice Capsey restricted Mumbai to 109/8. Then, Delhi's Shafali Verma, Lanning, and Capsey led their team to a comfortable win. In the final, Mumbai's Hayley Matthews took 3 wickets, limiting Delhi to 131. And Nat Sciver-Brunt's 60 not out helped Mumbai win the title.
| Statistic | MI vs DC WPL 2023 |
|---|
| Matches | 3 |
| DC Won | 1 |
| MI Won | 2 |
| DC Won Batting First | 0 |
| MI Won Batting First | 0 |
| DC Won Chasing | 1 |
| MI Won Chasing | 2 |
| Highest Total for DC vs MI | 131/9 |
| Highest Total for MI vs DC | 134/3 |
| Lowest Total for DC vs MI | 105 All Out |
| Lowest Total for MI vs DC | 109/8 |
| Highest Individual Score for DC | Meg Lanning - 43 off 41 balls |
| Highest Individual Score for MI | Nat Sciver-Brunt - 60 off 55 balls |
| Best Bowling Innings for DC | Marizanne Kapp - 2 for 13 in 4 overs |
| Best Bowling Innings for MI | Hayley Matthews - 3 for 5 in 4 overs |
| Most Runs for DC vs MI | Meg Lanning - 110 runs in 3 innings |
| Most Runs for MI vs DC | Nat Sciver-Brunt - 83 runs in 2 innings |
| Most Fours for DC vs MI | Meg Lanning - 14 fours in 3 innings |
| Most Fours for MI vs DC | Nat Sciver-Brunt - 11 fours in 3 innings |
| Most Sixes for DC vs MI | Alice Capsey - 5 sixes in 3 innings |
| Most Sixes for MI vs DC | Pooja Vastrakar & Issy Wong - 1 six in 1 inning |
| Most Wickets for DC vs MI | Alice Capsey - 3 wickets in 3 matches |
| Most Wickets for MI vs DC | Hayley Matthews - 7 wickets in 3 matches |
