Mumbai Indians Women and Delhi Capitals Women dominating Women’s Premier League 2023. Mumbai have 5 wins, while Delhi have 4 wins in WPL 2023 so far.
The Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2023 has been a hit so far, with Mumbai Indians Women dominating the tournament till now. MI Women have won all their five games so far, and that too comprehensively. The next best team so far have been Delhi Capitals Women who have won four games out of six played.
What MI and DC women are doing right in the inaugural season of the Women’s Premier League? Let’s have a look.
Mumbai Indians Women’s strengths
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur leading from the front
In three matches out of five won so far, Harmanpreet Kaur has won three ‘Player of the Match’ awards. She has scores of 65, DNB, 11*, 53* and 51, aggregating 180 runs at an average of 60 and an amazing strike rate of 178. She has set the bar high for other batters in the team to follow.
Overseas stars delivering for the team
A team’s success in a tournament such as the Women’s Premier League also depends on how the overseas stars fare. Mumbai Indians have been lucky on that front. West Indies all-rounder Hayley Matthews has delivered with both bat and ball. She has scored 168 runs and taken 10 wickets in just 5 matches. In the match against RCB Women, she cracked a 38-ball 77* to help MI chase down a target of 156 in the 15th over.
Another overseas star serving MI well is England all-rounder Natalie Sciver-Brunt who has scored 182 runs and taken 6 wickets in 5 games so far.
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Indian players giving their best as well
It’s not just the overseas stars, the Indian players in Mumbai Indians squad have also put in their best to complement their foreign compatriots. Left-arm orthodox spinner Saika Ishaque has taken 12 wickets so far while opening the bowling or coming in to bowl as a first change. Opener-cum-keeper Yastika Bhatia too has been in good nick, scoring vital runs at the top of the order. And of course, MI captain Kaur who has been spot on not only with her batting but also with her captaincy.
Performance speaks that MI is above the rest
A look at MI’s winning margins conveys that they are a well-oiled unit that has been ruthless in their approach. They won by 143 runs against Gujarat Giants, 9 wickets against RCB, 8 wickets against DC, 8 wickets against UP Warriorz and 55 runs against Gujarat Giants in the second leg.
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Delhi Capitals Women strengths
Delhi are catching up on Mumbai, losing just two matches out of six so far. Delhi’s strength is not difficult to ascertain, with a heavy top-order line-up.
Meg Lanning leading from the front
Meg Lanning who just led Australia to a record 6th World T20 title is also the captain of Delhi Capitals. And she is leading from the front, opening the batting for her team. She is currently the top-scorer in the tournament, aggregating 239 runs at an average of 47.80, with a strike rate of 137.35 and 2 fifties. She and India’s young star Shafali Verma have lit the tournament with their explosive batting. The two have already put up two century stands for the first wicket. Lanning’s form will be crucial for DC to take the team across the finish line once the play-offs begin.
Foreign recruits dishing out brilliant performances
Apart from Lanning, a few notable contributions have come from Tara Norris of USA. As a left-arm medium pacer, Norris has taken 7 wickets, including a fifer, in 5 games. Jess Jonassen of Australia too has been brilliant with her all-round display, scoring 77 runs but dismissed only once in 3 innings. She has also taken 5 wickets.
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Shafali and Co. deliver the goods
Partnering with a seasoned batter in Lanning, Shafali has shown great composure to not be overawed by the presence of a legend on the other end. She and Lanning have already blasted two century stands in 6 games. She matched her Australian counterpart stroke for stroke as the two posted a 162-run stand for the first wicket in 14.3 overs against RCB. Verma scored 84 in that match. In another match against Gujarat Giants, Shafali scored a 28-ball 78 with 10 fours and 5 sixes, while Lanning was a mere spectator, managing 21 runs only.
Jemimah Rodrigues too is not far behind, aggregating 114 runs at an average of 38.00 in 6 games. Shikha Pandey is among the top 10 wicket-takers so far, taking 8 wickets in 6 games.
What’s the way for MI-W and DC-W now?
With three league matches to go for MI-W and two for DC-W, they look poised to make it to the play-offs. But as the team topping the table makes it to the final directly, there is going to be a strong showing in the remaining games by both teams to top the group. Delhi will hope Mumbai will falter at least once while they win their last two games by a big margin to reach the final directly. Mumbai will finish at the top if they even win two of their last three games as they have already defeated Delhi once before. So, both teams will fight tooth and nail to secure a top finish.
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