Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals will kickstart the group-stage fixtures of the Women's Premier League season 2 on Friday in Bengaluru. The first match of the tournament will be played between last year's finalists. The tournament will be played at two different venues - M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru and Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. (More Cricket News)
The first leg of the tournament will be played in Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led Mumbai Indians will face Meg Lanning's Delhi Capitals in the tournament opener which features many foreign and Indian stars. The clash between last year's top two teams is going to be an interesting one.
Mumbai Indians have last year's purple cap holder Hayley Matthews, Pooja Vastrakar, Shabnil Ismail and Amanjot Kaur in the bowling department. Captain Kur can also bowl a few overs in between. Amelia Kerr and Natalie Sciver-Brunt are two foreign batters who can change the game single-handedly. Yastika Bhatia and Saika Ishaque will also be under the lens.
Meg Lanning has retired from International cricket and now she can focus solely on franchise cricket with leading Delhi Capitals being her primary duty. She has Annabel Sutherland, Jemimah Rodrigues and Shafali Verma in the batting department assisting her. Shikha Pandey, Jess Jonassen, Titas Sadhu and Radha Yadav will handle the bowling department.
Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals Full Squads:
Mumbai Indians: Shabnim Ismail, Harmanpreet Kaur, Hayley Matthews, Pooja Vastrakar, Issy Wong, Priyanka Bala, Fatima Jaffer, Humairaa Kaazi, Amandeep Kaur, Chloe Tryon, Natalie Sciver-Brunt, Amelia Kerr, Keerthana Balakrishnan, Yastika Bhatia, Amanjot Kaur, Sajeevan Sajana, Jintimani Kalita, and Saika Ishaque
Delhi Capitals: Marizanne Kapp, Jess Jonassen, Meg Lanning, Sneha Deepthi, Poonam Yadav, Shikha Pandey, Laura Harris, Annabel Sutherland, Radha Yadav, Jemimah Rodrigues, Taniya Bhatia, Arundhati Reddy, Minnu Mani, Shafali Verma, Ashwani Kumari, Aparna Mondal, Alice Capsey, and Titas Sadhu
Before the start of the first match of Women's Premier League 2024, here are three key player battles that are worth looking out for on Friday:
1. Meg Lanning vs Pooja Vastrakar
Meg Lanning was last year's orange cap holder and she knows how to build an inning and take the scoreboard running. She has every shot in her arsenal and her form will play a pivotal role in the entire season for the Capitals. Pooja Vastrakar is India's one of the primary fast bowlers and her wicket-taking abilities can't be questioned. She will be tested in front of the Aussie veteran.
2. Natalie Sciver-Brunt vs Titas Sadhu
England's star batter, Natalie, is renowned for her powerful batting style. She possesses the ability to swiftly score runs and hit multiple boundaries in a single over, putting the opponent's bowlers under pressure. Titas Sadhu, a young player, could pose a challenge for her during the powerplay or the death overs. Sadhu may also come to bowl in between overs, and Sciver-Brunt could take her on during that time. The battle between the raw talent of Sadhu and the experience of Natalie will be a delightful spectacle for cricket enthusiasts.
3. Shafali Verma vs Shabnim Ismail
South Africa's prime fast bowler Shabnim Ismail has some lethal deliveries in her arsenal and Shafali Verma, who loves to take on bowlers early in the game will definitely go after her, using her pace to score runs. Ismail's accuracy will be tested against the dangerous Verma in the powerplay.
