Rosa Simkin (@rosatalksball) – 22nd February 2024
Date – 23/02/24
Time – 7:30pm (Local – GMT +5), 2:00pm (UK – GMT)
Location – M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
Where to Watch – Sports18 Network (Local), Sky Sports Action (UK)
My Prediction – Mumbai Indians Win
Meg Lanning celebrates half-century against UP Warriorz (WPL 2023)
Image Credit – IANS
My Tournament Guide – https://rosatalksball.com/2024/02/22/2024-womens-premier-league-everything-you-need-to-know/
The Indian Women’s Premier League returns today, in a replay of last years final with Charlotte Edwards’ Mumbai Indians taking on Jonathan Batty’s Delhi Capitals in Bengaluru. The fixture marks the second edition of the tournament, with five sides battling to lift the trophy, after Mumbai Indians won the inaugural edition in March last year. Here is the latest news and my analysis prior to the showdown.
Order of Contents – Head to Head, The Squads, England’s Selection Drama, Mumbai Indians (Leadership, International Dilema, 2023 Stats & 2024 Fixtures), Delhi Capitals (Leadership, 2023 Stats & 2024 Fixtures)
Head to Head:
The Mumbai Indians have the highest win percentage between the sides, winning two of the three battles last season. The group stage saw a win a piece, the first outing back last March an easy victory for the Mumbai Indians, after an impressive display from their bowlers reducing the Capitals to 105 and being bowled out after just 18 overs, with three wickets a piece for Issy Wong, Hayley Matthews and Saika Ishaque and skipper Meg Lanning the top scorer for DC with 43 from 41 balls. The chase was one of ease for the Mumbai Indians, with West Indies star Hayley Matthews and wicket-keeper batter Yastika Bhatia scoring 32 and 41 respectively and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur finishing the job along with Nat Sciver-Brunt, chasing the total in just 15 overs.
The second battle in the group stage saw the result reversed as well as the scenario! With Mumbai Indians batting first and being restricted to 109/8 from their 20 overs, their highest run scorer being Pooja Vastrakar with 26 from 19. Marizanne Kapp, Shikha Pandey and Jess Jonnassen were all in the wickets for DC with 2 each. The Capitals made the run chase look embarrassingly easy if your a Mumbai Indians batter, chasing the low tally in just 9 overs and with only one wicket lost. The contribution from all three batters was impressive, Australia’s Meg Lanning scored 32 from 22, India’s Shafali Verma 33 from 15 and England’s Alice Capsey 38 from 17 with a whopping five sixes! Hayley Matthews grabbed the only wicket for Mumbai, ending with figures of 1/27.
It’s safe to say, when the sides came up against one and other again but this time in the grand final of the tournament, nobody could predict the result. Mumbai did come in off a high after thumping UP Warriorz in the eliminator to reach the final but Delhi had the easier path, qualifying immediately after coming first in the group stage of the tournament. Delhi won the toss and elected to bat first in Mumbai, reaching 131/9 from their twenty overs. Their top scorer once more was captain Meg Lanning, who opened scoring 35 from 29 balls. Issy Wong and Hayley Matthews took three each with Amelia Kerr taking two wickets. The arguably low total proved harder to reach then expected for Mumbai, who took 19.3 overs to chase the score down and become champions. Nat Sciver-Brunt scored 60 from 55 balls, making her the player of the final.
It’s hard to know who will come out on top this time round given the class of both sides, but we won’t have to wait long to find out.
The Squads:
Mumbai Indians – Amanjot Kaur, Amelia Kerr (OS), Chloe Tyron (OS), Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Hayley Matthews (OS), Humairaa Kazi, Issy Wong (OS), Jintimani Kalita, Nat Sciver-Brunt (OS), Pooja Vastrakar, Priyanka Bala, Saika Ishaque, Yastika Bhatia, Shabnim Ismail (OS), Sajeevan Sajana, Amandeep Kaur, Fatima Jaffer, Keerthana Balakrishnan
Delhi Capitals – Meg Lanning (C & OS), Jemimah Rodrigues, Alice Capsey (OS), Arundati Reddy, Jess Jonnasen (OS), Laura Harris (OS), Marizanne Kapp (OS), Minnu Mani, Poonam Yadav, Radha Yadav, Shafali Verma, Shikha Pandey, Sneha Deepthi, Taniya Bhatiaa, Titas Sadhu, Annabel Sutherland (OS), Aparna Mondal, Ashwani Kumari
Both sides elected to retain a large number of the players from last seasons squads with Delhi Capitals retaining 15 and Mumbai Indians retaining 13. The noteable editions are South African pace bowler Shabnim Ismail who has joined Mumbai and Australian young star Annabel Sutherland who joined Delhi for Rs 2 Crore, making her the most expensive pick in this years auction.
England Selection Dilemas:
For the England players involved in this year’s tournament they have been provided with a huge dilemma. The ECB reached the decision that players who elected to play the entirety of WPL season 2 would not be available for selection for the first three T20 Internationals of England’s upcoming multi format series away in New Zealand.
England captain Heather Knight who was due to be wearing RCB colours and England pace bowler Lauren Bell, due to be representing UP Warriorz both dropped out of the tournament due to this but the remaining six ECB contracted players have not, meaning they will not put themselves forward for selection for those first three games. This has also effected England head coach, Jon Lewis who was due to be coaching the UP Warriorz for a second consecutive year, he will still be involved but will be leaving the WPL early to get to New Zealand for the first T20 International on the 19th of March, which is 2 days after the WPL final.
“Yeah, I mean, I would be lying if I said no,” Sciver-Brunt told ESPNcricinfo’s Powerplay podcast, being asked if money led to her decision to not drop out of the tournament “Having obviously gone for that much in the first year, yeah, it certainly came into consideration. Hopefully this weigh-up of club versus country doesn’t happen again. I know we’ve see it happen with the men’s side of things and continue to happen for quite a while, and still will. Hopefully these clashes don’t happen in the future, which I guess will keep the importance of international cricket and keep that focus for everyone.” – Mumbai Indians Nat Sciver-Brunt on the selection dilema
Mumbai Indians
The Mumbai Indians enter this seasons WPL with a barely changed squad and you’d assume unchanged philosophy as they look to defend their title. They were the standout side in the WPL last season, with three of their squad named in the top 5 run scorers and 5 of their bowlers making up the top 10 wicket takers at the conclusion of the tournament. Their all round brilliance led to six victories from their eight games contested in the group, with their only defeats in the group stage coming from the Delhi Capitals who they went on to beat in the final and the UP Warriorz who they went on to beat in the Eliminator.
The Leadership:
Harmanpreet Kaur (Captain) – Mumbai Indians are one of only two WPL sides who have elected for homegrown talent to lead from the front in this years WPL. The 34-year-old all rounder plays predominantly as a batter and was fundamental to her sides success and eventual victory in last years tournament, scoring 281 runs overall making her the fourth placed run scorer in the final purple cap standings. Her captaincy experience is certainly not limited, leading the Indian National Side across all formats, taking over from Mithali Raj upon her retirement.
International Dilema:
WPL rules state that each team can only field four overseas players at anyone time, unless they field a player from an associate nation, meaning that number can increase to five. Mumbai retained five of their overseas stars from last time out, signing a sixth in Shabnim Ismail and with none of those players being from an associate nation they can only select four out of; Nat Sciver-Brunt (England), Hayley Matthews (West Indies), Amelia Kerr (New Zealand), Issy Wong (England), Chloe Tryon (South Africa) & Shabnim Ismail (South Africa). Not the easiest of choices for Charlotte Edwards.
The 2023 WPL Stats (Overseas Players):
Nat Sciver Brunt (All-Rounder) in the 2023 WPL:
Bat (2nd Overall) – 332 runs from 10 Innings with an average of 66.40.
Ball (7th Overall) – 10 Wickets from 192 balls at an average of 22.80 per wicket and an economy of 7.12.
Hayley Matthews (All-Rounder) in the 2023 WPL:
Bat (5th Overall) – 271 runs from 10 innings with an average of 30.11.
Ball (1st Overall) – 16 Wickets from 204 balls at an average of 12.62 and an economy of 5.94.
Amelia Kerr (All-Rounder) in the 2023 WPL:
Bat (20th Overall) – 149 runs from 7 innings with an average of 37.25.
Ball (4th Overall) – 15 Wickets from 196 balls at an average of 14.06 and an economy of 6.45.
Issy Wong (Bowler) in the 2023 WPL:
Bat – 61 runs from 5 innings with an average of 15.25.
Ball (3rd Overall) – 15 wickets from 195 balls at an average of 14.00 and an economy of 6.46.
Shabnim Ismail (Bowler) in the 2023 WPL for UP Warriorz:
Ball – 3 wickets from 63 balls at an average of 30.66 and an economy of 8.76.
Chloe Tryon did not get on the pitch in the 2023 WPL.
2023 Top Wicket Takers & Run Scorers:
Top 5 Wicket Takers:
- Hayley Matthews (West Indies, 1st overall) – 16 Wickets from 204 balls at an average of 12.62 and an economy of 5.94.
- Issy Wong (England, 3rd Overall) – 15 Wickets from 195 balls at an average of 14.00 and an economy of 6.46.
- Amelia Kerr (New Zealand, 3rd Overall) – 15 Wickets from 196 balls at an average of 14.06 and an economy of 6.45.
- Saika Ishaque (India, 5th Overall) – 15 Wickets from 209 balls at an average of 16.26 and an economy of 7.00.
- Nat Sciver-Brunt (England, 8th Overall) – 10 Wickets from 192 balls at an average of 22.80 per wicket and an economy of 7.12.
Top 5 Run Scorers:
- Nat Sciver-Brunt (England, 2nd Overall) – 332 runs from 10 Innings with an average of 66.40.
- Harmanpreet Kaur (India, 4th Overall) – 332 runs from 10 innings with an average of 66.4.
- Hayley Matthews (West Indies, 5th Overall) – 271 runs from 10 innings with an average of 30.11.
- Yastika Bhatia (India, 11th Overall) – 214 runs from 10 innings with an average of 21.4.
- Amelia Kerr (New Zealand, 20th Overall) – 149 runs from 7 innings with an average of 37.25.
2024 Fixtures:
Friday, February 23: Delhi Capitals v Mumbai Indians (Bengaluru, 7.30pm Local & 2.00pm UK)
Sunday, February 25: Gujarat Giants v Mumbai Indians (Bengaluru, 7.30pm Local & 2.00pm UK)
Wednesday, February 28: Mumbai Indians v UP Warriorz (Bengaluru, 7.30pm Local & 2.00pm UK)
Saturday, March 2: Royal Challengers Bangalore v Mumbai Indians (Bengaluru, 7.30pm Local & 2.00pm UK)
Tuesday, March 5: Delhi Capitals v Mumbai Indians (Delhi, 7.30pm Local & 2.00pm UK)
Thursday, March 7: Mumbai Indians v UP Warriorz (Delhi, 7.30pm Local & 2.00pm UK)
Saturday, March 9: Gujarat Giants v Mumbai Indians (Delhi, 7.30pm Local & 2.00pm UK)
Tuesday, March 12: Mumbai Indians v Royal Challengers Bangalore (Delhi, 7.30pm Local & 2.00pm UK)
Delhi Capitals
The mostly unchanged Delhi Capitals side will be hoping to seek revenge on the Mumbai Indians after falling to defeat in last seasons final against the side. They qualified for the final immediately from the group stage last season, after impressing against all opponents and despite the fact their players aren’t particularly high within the individual rankings, they performed at an extremely high quality last season, hence their immediate qualification for the final. The most notable absence in this years squad is pace bowler Tara Norris who they decided not to retain for this years tournament. Norris made history last year, by taking the first five wicket haul in WPL history after being bought at the base price of INR 10 lakh (9.5k). She will not play any role in this years tournament, after not being selected in the auction by any side.
The Leadership:
Meg Lanning (Captain) – The Australian great heads into her second year captaining the side, after ending as runners up in their 2023 campaign. Lanning recently announced her retirement from international cricket, after leading the Aussie side for 13 years and winning seven World Cups, leading her side to five of them. She scored a whopping 8,352 runs in 241 matches across formats and batting is where her expertise lies. She was the top scorer in the 2023 edition of the tournament, scoring 345 runs across 9 innings and rightfully earning the orange cap. She will however, be hoping to take her side one step further this year and lift the title at their home in Delhi.
2023 Top Wicket Takers & Run Scorers:
Top 5 Wicket Takers:
- Shikha Pandey (India, 5th Overall) – 10 Wickets from 192 balls at an average of 21.1 and a 6.59 economy.
- Marizanne Kapp (South Africa, 8th Overall) – 9 Wickets from 216 balls at an average of 22.88 and a 5.72 economy.
- Jess Jonassen (Australia, 9th Overall) – 9 Wickets from 210 balls at an average of 29.88 and a 7.68 economy.
- Tara Norris (USA, 11th Overall) – 7 Wickets from 66 balls at an average of 12.71 and a 8.09 economy.
- Alice Capsey (England, 13th Overall – 6 Wickets from 129 balls at an average of 25.16 and a 7.02 economy.
Top 5 Run Scorers:
- Meg Lanning (Australia, 1st Overall) – 345 runs from 9 innings with an average of 49.28.
- Shafali Verma (India, 9th Overall) – 252 runs from 9 innings with an average of 31.5.
- Marizanne Kapp (South Africa, 13th Overall) – 177 runs from 7 innings with an average of 44.25.
- Alice Capsey (England, 14th Overall) – 159 runs from 7 innings with an average of 26.5
- Jemimah Rodrigues (India) – 126 runs from 7 innings with an average of 25.2.
2024 Fixtures:
Friday, February 23: Delhi Capitals v Mumbai Indians (Bengaluru, 7.30pm Local & 2.00pm UK)
Monday, February 26: Delhi Capitals v UP Warriorz (Bengaluru, 7.30pm Local & 2.00pm UK)
Thursday, February 29: Royal Challengers Bangalore v Delhi Capitals (Bengaluru, 7.30pm Local & 2.00pm UK)
Sunday, March 3: Delhi Capitals v Gujarat Giants (Bengaluru, 7.30pm Local & 2.00pm UK)
Tuesday, March 5: Delhi Capitals v Mumbai Indians (Delhi, 7.30pm Local & 2.00pm UK)
Friday, March 8: Delhi Capitals v UP Warriorz (Delhi, 7.30pm Local & 2.00pm UK)
Sunday, March 10: Delhi Capitals v Royal Challengers Bangalore (Delhi, 7.30pm Local & 2.00pm UK)
Wednesday, March 13: Delhi Capitals v Gujarat Giants (Delhi, 7.30pm Local & 2.00pm UK)
