23 February,2024 11:34 PM IST | Bengaluru | mid-day online correspondent
Marizanne Kapp celebrates the wicket of Hayley Matthews (Pic: @wplt20/X)
The WPL 2024 beginning with a high-profile match between defending champions Mumbai Indians and runners-up Delhi Capitals, will be optimistic about meeting its existential purpose of giving a wider platform to promising home-grown talents.
The foreign stars glittered brightly in the inaugural edition held in Mumbai, and the Indians will be hoping to hog some of the limelight this year as the tournament takes a multi-city format shape with New Delhi being the other host city.
While Capitals' skipper Meg Lanning, who has now retired from international cricket, took the Orange Cap last year for the highest run-getter, the Purple Cap went to Hayley Matthews of Mumbai for taking 16 wickets.
Amid this surge of overseas players, the Indian cricketers generally struggled for consistency and impact in the previous year, but now some of the young domestic stars will eye this WPL with genuine hope.
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Let's take Shreyanka Patil of Royal Challengers Bangalore as a case in point. During WPL 2023, she was a wide-eyed young cricketer who was awestruck to rub shoulders with some of the finest names in women's cricket.
She played seven matches, but the spotlight was understandably on players such as Smriti Mandhana or Ellyse Perry or Sophie Devine.
But in the last 10 months or so, Patil has built a place of her own. She earned her maiden India cap in both Test and ODIs in December last year, besides making her mark in the Caribbean Premier League for the Guyana Amazon Warriors.
In this interim, the 21-year-old has also added more arrows to her quiver in the form of power-hitting at the death overs.
Titas Sadhu of Delhi Capitals offers a similar story. Sadhu did not get a single game despite being in the squad but this year the West Bengal player has a changed profile.
Also Read: City pride at stake: Daring Delhi face Mumbai in pinnacle cricket showdown
After making her India debut in the Hangzhou Asian Games against Bangladesh, the 19-year-old has grown in stature.
The medium pacer's 4-1-6-3 spell helped India beat Sri Lanka in the Asian Games final while defending a meagre target of 117.
Sadhu proved that that performance was no flash in the pan when she grabbed four for 17 against Australia in Mumbai last month, powering India to a rare T20I win over the Aussies.
So, it will be hard for Delhi management to overlook her claim to be in the starting eleven against Mumbai, or at least in a few subsequent matches.
The Capitals also have in their ranks a talent who is eager to stamp her mark in the WPL, Minnu Mani.
The season opener could be the perfect tone-setter for Delhi, as they would be looking forward to moving past the heartbreak of last year's loss to Mumbai in the finals and securing the gold.
Lanning would have her eyes set on the gold, hoping to hold the newest championship title of women's franchise cricket after conquering international cricket Australia all over the world.
Mumbai Indians: Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Amanjot Kaur, Amelia Kerr, Chloe Tryon, Hayley Matthews, Humaira Kazi, Issy Wong, Jintimani Kalita, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Pooja Vastrakar, Priyanka Bala, Saika Ishaque, Yastika Bhatia, Shabnim Ismail, S Sajana, Amandeep Kaur, Fatima Jaffer, Keerthana Balakrishnan.
Delhi Capitals: Meg Lanning (Captain), Jemimah Rodrigues, Laura Harris, Shafali Verma, Alice Capsey, Annabel Sutherland, Arundathi Reddy, Ashwani Kumari, Jess Jonassen, Marizanne Kapp, Sneha Deepthi, Minnu Mani, Radha Yadav, Shikha Pandey, Aparna Mondal, Taniyaa Bhatia, Poonam Yadav, Titas Sadhu
MI: Hayley Matthews, Yastika Bhatia (wk), NR Sciver, H Kaur (C), AC Kerr, Amanjot Kaur, P Vastrakar, S Ismail, Jintimani Kalita, Amandeep Kaur, S Ishaque
DC: Shafali Verma, MM Lanning (C), JI Rodrigues, M Kapp, Alice Capsey, A Sutherland, S Pandey, T Bhatia (wk), Radha Yadav, Poonam Yadav, Titas Sadhu
Wicketkeeper: Yastika Bhatia
Batters: Meg Lanning, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Shafali Verma (VC)
All-rounders: Hayley Matthews, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Marizanne Kapp, Amelia Kerr
Bowlers: Shabnim Ismail, Shikha Pandey, Issy Wong
6:45 PM: Opening ceremony begins!
The WPl 2024 opening ceremony kicks off and Bollywood star Karthik Aaryan takes the grand stage. The match between Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians will begin at 8 PM (IST). Below is a video of Shahrukh Khan preparing for the ceremony.
Bollywood 'Badshah' Shahrukh Khan illuminates the stage with an incandescent performance. Watch below:
Mumbai Indians' Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and has elected to bowl first against Delhi Capitals in the season opener.
Mumbai Indians: Hayley Matthews, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Yastika Bhatia(w), Amelia Kerr, Amanjot Kaur, S Sajana, Pooja Vastrakar, Shabnim Ismail, Keerthana Balakrishnan, Saika Ishaque.
Delhi Capitals: Shafali Verma, Meg Lanning(c), Alice Capsey, Jemimah Rodrigues, Marizanne Kapp, Annabel Sutherland, Arundhati Reddy, Minnu Mani, Taniya Bhatia(w), Radha Yadav, Shikha Pandey.
11:24 PM: MI win by four wickets
10:52 PM: 136/5 (17 overs)
Skipper Kaur make the chase look supremely easy. Looks like Mumbai will have it easy this time around after early blow.
10:49 PM: 106/2 (15 Overs)
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur has shifted gears with some fours, she is now on 24 off 18. Mumbai Indians need 67 in 42 balls now and Delhi desperately need a wicket.
10:32 PM: 90/2 (11 Overs)
Yastika Bhatia hits a dazzling fifty, with Mumbai Indians back in the contest. Delhi must take wickets to avenge disappointment from last year's final.
10:17 PM: 57/2 (7 Overs)
Nat Sciver-Brunt 19 (17) gets bowled by Arundhati Reddy. Mumbai seem unfazed, skipper Kaur walks in to bat.
10:03 PM: 36/1 (5 Overs)
Mumbai Indians are back in this contest with 36 runs from 30 balls so far.
9:59 PM: 21/1 (3 Overs)
Nat Sciver-Brunt is at the moment in the middle against Delhi, remaining relentless in the company of wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia.
9:48 PM: 0/1 (1 Over)
Marizanne Kapp strikes on the second delivery of this innings as Hayley Matthews is caught behind by Bhatia. Delhi Capitals off to a dream start.
9:30 PM: 171/5 (20 overs)
Capsey showcased full range of her talent with a power-packed fifty as Delhi Capitals made a challenging 171 for five.
9:22 PM: 147/3 (18 Overs)
Big wicket! Capsey 75 (53) LBW by Amelia Kerr. Mumbai Indians finally get the dangerous Capsey out, she goes for a reverse sweep but gets trapped.
9:12 PM: 127/2 (16 Overs)
Capsey single-handedly took Delhi on top of this contest. She is batting on 72 off 49 balls with 9 fours and 3 sixes.
9:00 PM: 89/2 (12 Overs)
Capsey hits fifty in 37 balls, laced with six fours and two sixes. Delhi Capitals look in complete control at the moment. Mumbai appoint Saika Ishaque looking for wickets.
8:44 PM: 66/1 (10.1 Overs)
Amelia Kerr comes into the attack for Delhi Capitals. Nat Sciver-Brunt and Hayley Matthews come in next searching for wickets. Capsey and Lanning in the middle for Delhi.
8:32 PM: 58/1 (8.3 Overs)
Delhi Capitals have bounced back with Meg Lanning and Alice Capsey in the middle, electrifying the stadium with a dazzling display of stellar shots.
8:13 PM: 6/1 (2.5 Over)
Mumbai's Shabnim Ismail strikes in the second over to get the first breakthrough for her side, Shafali Verma gets cleaned up and walks back after scoring just one run.
8:00 PM: 0/0 (0.1 Over)
Meg Lanning and Shafali Verma open for Delhi Capitals.
