The league stage of the Women’s Premier League’s first season is over, so now the three teams that are still in the running for the trophy have to battle it out. On Friday, March 24, at the Dr. D.Y. Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai, Mumbai Indians will play UP Warriorz in the Eliminator. The winner of this game will move on to the final, while the team that loses will be out of the tournament for good. In their last match, UP Warriorz beat Mumbai Indians in a big way.
After beating Royal Challengers Bangalore in their last group-stage game to briefly take the top spot in the league table, Mumbai Indians came in second to Delhi Capitals in the five-team table. During the first part of the tournament, MI was unbeatable and couldn’t be stopped. They won five games in a row. They were doing great until they lost two games in a row. After that, they were hurt and had to settle for second place. The first of their two losses came against their Eliminator opponent, the UP Warriorz. With a five-wicket win, the UP Warriorz ended the Women’s Premier League winning streak of the strong Mumbai Indians. The next team they lost to was the Delhi Capitals, who were already in the final.
MI needs batsmen to step up.
One of the main reasons why Mumbai lost two games in a row was because of how their batters did. The last three games haven’t gone well for Mumbai’s batters, and if they want to get the last spot, they need to do better. Mumbai bats deep, and even players like Pooja Vastrakar and Issy Wong can hit a few out of the middle. Still, the star-studded top order must perform well in the big game. The bowlers have been doing a great job, and the likes of
When they have the ball, Saika Ishaque, Hayley Matthews, and Amelia Kerr have been their best players. In this listicle, we look at some of the most important MI players who can change the game.
3) Hayley Matthews
The all-rounder from the Caribbean has been one of the most important people in the Mumbai team. Matthews gives her team power and stability at the top of the lineup, which is why she has scored the most runs (232) through eight innings. The fact that she helped with the ball makes her even more unique and valuable.
Matthews has taken 12 wickets with the ball at a cost of 6.51 runs per wicket. He has been a consistent wicket-taker for the team. The off-spin all-rounder is a naturally aggressive player, and if she gets going, the other team’s bowlers are likely to have a hard day in the middle.
2) Saika Ishaque
Saika Ishaque, a left-handed spinner from South Kolkata, has been the tournament’s biggest surprise. Saika is currently third on the list. She has taken 13 wickets in 8 innings, with a strike rate of 13.0 and an economy rate of 6.81 runs per Over. This makes her tied with teammate Amelia Kerr for the second-highest number of wickets in the current WPL.
Her help has been very important on MI’s way to securing a spot in the playoffs. The last few games have been hard for her, but she could help her team win a must-win game by playing well.
1) Amelia Kerr
In her last game against Royal Challengers Bangalore, the all-rounder who spins with her legs was named the player of the match. Her all-around brilliance helped Mumbai beat RCB in their last league game. She took 3 wickets and scored 31* runs without being out. Kerr is tied for the second-most wickets this season with 13 of them.
The leg-break bowler has made a difference with the ball. She has been one of the hardest bowlers to beat in the tournament. Kerr’s skills will be put to the test by the strong Warriorz lineup. By the numbers, it looks like Kerr likes playing against the UP Warriorz. During the group stage, she had scores of 2–53 and 2–22 against the Warriorz. If she does the same thing in the eliminator, Mumbai will think they have a good chance of making it to the final.
