The WPL train arrives in Delhi as the hosts, the Delhi Capitals, attempt to continue their winning streak. The Washington Capitals have won three straight games to take the top spot in the WPL after falling to the Mumbai Indians in the league opener. However, they’ll be up against the toughest opponent in the competition’s history—the Mumbai Indians—in their first home game, a team they have only defeated once in four attempts.
Most Bengaluru sides found it difficult to defend totals, but the Capitals were ahead of the curve, posting competitive totals and winning both of their most recent games by a combined 25 runs against Royal Challengers Bangalore and UP Warriorz. Marizanne Kapp and Jess Jonassen have demonstrated their versatility with the bat and the ball, but Jemimah Rodrigues, who has had a quiet tournament thus far, will be looked upon by the Capitals to score some runs.
In the absence of Shabnim Ismail and Harmanpreet Kaur, Mumbai Indians were defeated by UPW; nevertheless, they recovered well, defeating RCB by a comfortable 7 wickets with 4.5 overs remaining in their 132-run chase. The bulk of the players contributed to the team effort, and Mumbai Indians will be looking to put on another exhibition of that kind to pull ahead of the pack in what has been a fiercely competitive campaign thus far.
When: March 5th, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. IST
Where: Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium
What to expect: During IPL 2023 in Delhi, mediocre totals were the norm, with 200 being exceeded just once in 16 innings. In the 2023 World Cup matches held here, a few huge totals were reported, but there were also some mediocre totals. In the past, the pitch has aided with spin and pace. For the first few games, chasing might be the better course of action, as the pitch is still up in the air.
News for the team:
Delhi Caps: After winning two straight games as the player of the match, Marizanne Kapp was sidelined for the last contest with a hamstring injury. Annabel Sutherland is probably going to give way again if she comes back.
Meg Lanning (c), Shafali Verma, Alice Capsey, Jemimah Rodrigues, Marizanne Kapp, Jess Jonassen, Arundhati Reddy, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Shikha Pandey, Radha Yadav, and Titas Sadhu are the probable XI.
Mumbai Indians: It’s unclear if Harmanpreet, who missed two games because of sore quadriceps, is fully recovered. Humaira Kazi is probably going to be left out if she has. Shabnim did not play in the previous match, but he did bowl prior. She might replace Issy Wong if she comes back.
Amanjot Kaur, Amanley Matthews, S. Sajana, Shabnim Ismail, Keerthana Balakrishnan, Saika Ishaque, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Nat Sciver-Brunt, and Amelia Kerr are the probable starting eleven.
What they expressed:
“I feel as though a burden has been somewhat removed. I’m able to have fun. When I need it, I still possess the competitive advantage. Delhi has an amazing atmosphere that is laid back, enjoyable, and pleasant. We encourage one another to play to our strengths. It facilitates my work. All I want to do is go out, enjoy myself, and smile.” Meg Lanning discusses continuing to play cricket after leaving the national team.
