Mumbai Indians tend to lean on their core group of players — both overseas and Indian — and a similar approach can be expected this year
Harmanpreet Kaur, Meg Lanning (Pic: X)
The inaugural edition's winner Mumbai Indians will bank on their core group of players while two-time finalists Delhi Capitals will expect fireworks from Shafali Verma when they face-off in the second game of the Women’s Premier League on Saturday.
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The finalists of the first WPL in 2023, both Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals made it to the knockouts in the second edition last year but lost to the eventual champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the eliminator and the final respectively.
Those defeats were certainly not reflective of how well MI and DC had fared until the knockouts stage, with Harmanpreet Kaur's side finishing second in the points table with five wins in eight matches and Meg Lanning's team topping it with six wins in as many outings.
The winners of WPL 2023, Mumbai Indians tend to lean on their core group of players — both overseas and Indian — and a similar approach can be expected this year, with only a few changes taking place in terms of squad composition.
India pacer Pooja Vastrakar, who was grappling with an unspecified injury, was ruled out of the competition and has been replaced by slow left-arm orthodox bowler Parunika Sisodia, who was one of the main performers in India’s title-winning campaign in the U-19 Women's T20 World Cup recently.
Mumbai Indians have let go of England's Issy Wong, who took the first-ever WPL hat-trick in 2023, after the player lost form and the franchise found the leader of their attack in South Africa's Shabnim Ismail.
Among domestic talents, another member of the U-19 T20 World Cup winning squad G Kamalini would be one to watch out for, having finished as the third highest scorer in the competition with 143 runs in seven matches.
Apart from a strong leader in Harmanpreet, MI have strong figures from other international sides such as Nat Sciver-Brunt (England), Hayley Matthews (West Indies), Amelia Kerr (New Zealand), as well as South Africans Nadine de Klerk, Shabnim Ismail and Chloe Tryon.
While Yastika Bhatia is MI’s No 1 wicketkeeper-batter, other Indian players in Saika Ishaque, Sajana Sajeevan, uncapped Akshita Maheshwari and Amanjot Kaur will be expected to play their roles to perfection.
On their part, Delhi Capitals will be keen to do one better after finishing as runner-up for two times in a row ever since the competition began. One of the most consistent teams in the competition, the Lanning-led Delhi have strong talent base across departments but the key will be to deliver in crucial matches.
All eyes will be on the explosive Indian batter Shafali who has responded to her exclusion from the Indian side with runs in domestic cricket. She forms a lethal opening pair with Lanning at the top, while the likes of Australia’s Annabel Sutherland, England’s Alice Capsey and India’s Jemimah Rodrigues form the core of their middle order.
All-rounder Sutherland will hope to draw inspiration from her recent success of having struck 163 in the only Test of the women’s Ashes followed by winning the highest individual honour in Australian cricket.
While Delhi boasts of three wicketkeeper-batters in India’s Taniyaa Bhatia, Nandini Kashyap and Scotland's Sarah Bryce, their bowling looks settled with Marizanne Kapp as the leader of the attack, backed by Australia’s Jess Jonassen, India’s Radha Yadav and Shikha Pandey as well as Titas Sadhu.
MI vs DC WPL 2025 live updates: Squads
Mumbai Indians: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Akshita Maheshwari, Amandeep Kaur, Amanjot Kaur, Amelia Kerr, Chloe Tryon, Hayley Matthews, Jintimani Kalita, Keerthana Balakrishnan, Nadine de Klerk, Natalie Sciver-Brunt, Parunika Sisodia, Sajeevan Sajana, Sanskriti Gupta, G Kamalini (wk), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Saika Ishaque, Shabnim Ismail
Delhi Capitals: Meg Lanning (c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Sneh Deepthi, Alice Capsey, Annabel Sutherland, Arundhati Reddy, Jess Jonassen, Marizanne Kapp, Minnu Mani, N Charani, Niki Prasad, Radha Yadav, Shikha Pandey, Nandini Kashyap (wk), Taniyaa Bhatia (wk), Sarah Bryce (wk), Titas Sadhu
MI vs DC WPL 2025 live updates: Stars in action
A host of big names like Meg Lanning, Harmanpreet Kaur, Amelia Kerr, Hayley Matthews, Annabel Sutherland, Marizanne Kapp and others will be in action in the second match of WPL 2025
MI vs DC WPL 2025 live updates: Toss
Delhi Capitals win toss and opt to bowl first against Mumbai in the second match of WPL 2025
MI vs DC WPL 2025 live updates: Playing XIs
Mumbai Indians: Hayley Matthews, Yastika Bhatia(w), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Amelia Kerr, Sajeevan Sajana, Amanjot Kaur, Jintimani Kalita, Sanskriti Gupta, Shabnim Ismail, Saika Ishaque
Delhi Capitals: Shafali Verma, Meg Lanning(c), Alice Capsey, Jemimah Rodrigues, Annabel Sutherland, Niki Prasad, Sarah Bryce(w), Shikha Pandey, Arundhati Reddy, Minnu Mani, Radha Yadav
DC 165-8 (20 overs)
Arundhati dashes for the winning double, survives a close call, and secures DC’s last-ball triumph
DC 149-7 (19 overs)
Shikha misjudges the second run and is caught short by a sharp throw from Sajana, Capitals only three wickets away from being all out.
DC 122-5 (16.1 overs)
Kerr strikes again effortlessly, tossing up a flighted delivery to tempt Capsey into a lofted shot over mid-on, but she only manages to pick out Ismail’s safe hands.
DC 106-4 (14 overs)
Delhi Capitals need 59 runs in 36 balls to win the match. Niki Prasad and Alice Capsey are at the crease for the Capitals.
DC 90-4 (11 overs)
After a flying start, Delhi are in big trouble now having lost the wickets of Shafali Verma, Meg Lanning, Jemimah Rodrigues and Annabel Sutherland in quick succession in run chase.
DC 79-4 (8 overs)
Shafali Verma has given Delhi Capitals a flying start in the powerplay. She has taken Mumbai bowlers to cleaners in the run chase.
DC 41-0 (5 overs)
Nat Sciver-Brunt replaces Ishaque, but the pressure remains on Mumbai as Meg Lanning finds her rhythm. The Delhi skipper wastes no time, elegantly striking two crisp fours to get her innings underway.
DC 25-0 (3 overs)
DC send out openers Shafali Verma and skipper Meg Lanning out to get the chase going. Saika Ishaque takes charge with the ball, but her slow spin proves irresistible for Shafali Verma. The explosive batter steps out confidently, launching a massive six followed by four consecutive fours, putting Mumbai Indians under immediate pressure. The decision to introduce spin early backfires, as Ishaque concedes heavy runs in the over.
MI 164 (19.1 overs)
Delhi Capitals have managed to bowl out Mumbai Indians for 164 in 19.1 overs despite Nat Sciver-Brunt's impressive fifty.
MI 146-6 (16 overs)
Mumbai Indians are in big trouble now, having lost wickets in quick succession. Nat Sciver-Brunt will have to bat till 20 over to help Mumbai post a big total.
MI 147-6 (16 overs)
Mumbai appeared to be in control with Harmanpreet Kaur and Natalie Sciver-Brunt steadying the ship, but the quick dismissals of Kaur, Amelia Kerr, Sajana S, and Amanjot Kaur have put them on the back foot. With momentum shifting, Mumbai will now pin their hopes on Natalie Sciver-Brunt to anchor the innings and push the total towards the 170-run mark.
MI 105-3 (10.5 overs)
Annabel Sutherland removes dangerous Harmanpreet Kaur to give massive relief to Delhi Capitals.
Harmanpreet Kaur's last five scores in T20s:
29* (24)
52* (27)
54* (47)
13* (11)
42 (22)
MI 87-2 (10 overs)
Harmanpreet Kaur and Nat Sciver-Brunt are in attack mode as they are hammering Delhi Capitals bowlers all around the park.
MI 66-2 (8 overs)
Mumbai Indians skipper Harmanpreet Kaur is at the crease along with Nat Sciver-Brunt. Both star batters will have to bat deep to help Mumbai post a big total.
MI 34-2 (5 overs)
After losing Hayley Matthews early, Mumbai Indians have now lost the wicket of Yastika Bhatia. However, the bowler remains same - Shikha Pandey.
MI 1-1 (1 over)
Shikha Pandey gives Delhi Capitals big breakthrough by removing Hayley Matthews in the very first over. Nat Sciver-Brunt joins Yastika Bhatia at the crease.
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