Big picture – The powerplay battle
It’s a clash between a team with a settled core and an experienced, title-winning captain and a side with a young leader and several new faces. Yet both Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals arrive in Vadodara under pressure, having both lost two of their last three matches.
MI have played five and won two, while DC have just one win from four. While issues extend beyond the powerplay for both sides, that phase has been a recurring flashpoint – exposing deeper batting and bowling problems rather than existing in isolation.
MI’s struggles at the top have been reflected in constant shuffling. They have tried four opening combinations in five games, and scored at only 6.5 in the first six overs, the lowest run rate of all five teams. The various combinations they have tried have combined for an opening-partnership run rate of 5.68, the lowest of all teams this season, and the joint third-worst across WPL seasons. As a result, the likes of Nat Sciver-Brunt and Harmanpreet Kaur have often been forced to take chances as soon as they get to the crease.
For DC, the powerplay has been a problem with the ball, a sharp contrast to previous seasons. Across the last three editions, they never conceded more than seven an over in this phase, but this season they have a powerplay economy rate of 8.6 – the second-worst by any team in a WPL season. With Shikha Pandey now at UP Warriorz and Marizanne Kapp yet to hit peak form, DC have experimented by pairing Kapp with Nandani Sharma, Lucy Hamilton and Chinelle Henry. But early wickets have been hard to come by: DC’s bowlers have taken just three powerplay wickets in four matches, the lowest this season.
With both sides faltering in different ways early on, the first six overs could once again set the tone, and perhaps even decide the contest.
Team news & likely XIs
DC handed Australia left-arm quick Lucy Hamilton a debut when allrounder Chinelle Henry was injured. If Henry remains unfit, DC are likely to go with the same XI that lost to RCB.
Delhi Capitals (probable): 1 Shafali Verma, 2 Lizelle Lee (wk), 3 Laura Wolvaardt, 4 Jemimah Rodrigues (capt), 5 Marizanne Kapp, 6 Niki Prasad, 7 Sneh Rana, 8 Minnu Mani, 9 N Shree Charani, 10 Nandani Sharma, 11 Lucy Hamilton.
MI made two changes to their XI in their last match against UP Warriorz, resting Shabnim Ismail to free up an overseas slot for Hayley Matthews, and bringing in debutant medium-pacer Kranthi Reddy for the unavailable batter Poonam Khemnar. Ismail might not be back in the XI yet, with Matthews likely to remain the preferred overseas opener. However, they will be without their keeper-batter G Kamalini, who was ruled out for the remainder of this WPL because of an injury. MI have uncapped Rahila Firdous, who is yet to play a WPL game, as their only wicket-keeping option.
Mumbai Indians (probable): 1 Rahila Firdous (wk), 2 Hayley Matthews, 3 Nat Sciver-Brunt, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Amelia Kerr, 6 Amanjot Kaur, 7 Nicola Carey, 8 Sajeevan Sajana, 9 Sanskriti Gupta, 10 Kranthi Reddy, 11 Triveni Vasistha.
Big question
In the spotlight: Marizanne Kapp and Nicola Carey
With an inexperienced bowling attack around her, DC will look to Marizanne Kapp to lead from the front. She is the only DC bowler to have completed her four-over quota in every match so far, picking up three wickets at an economy rate of 6.06 – the best among DC’s bowlers. Kapp’s ability to strike up front and maintain control early will be crucial against MI. Beyond her bowling, she will also be vital in the middle order, which has largely struggled this season, managing just one fifty from positions four to seven.
Marizanne Kapp has not hit her peak yet•BCCI
Nicola Carey has put in impressive performances in the last few months, so much so that former Australia captain Alex Blackwell urged the national selectors to consider handing her a shock recall for the T20 World Cup. Carey has carried that form into her debut WPL season, scoring 137 runs at a strike rate of 145.74 and taking seven wickets – the joint second-most among MI’s bowlers – at an economy rate of 8.68. With MI still eyeing a playoffs spot, Carey’s all-round impact will be key in their remaining matches.
Pitch and conditions
Moving from the red soil of Navi Mumbai to the black soil of Vadodara for the first match of the season, RCB – in particular Gautami Naik – adapted well to the low bounce and dryness of the surface to post a match-winning 178 against GG on Monday. Playing straight down the ground will be key to accumulate runs. With dew expected to play a part later in the night, teams winning the toss are likely to bowl first. The average first-innings total at the Kotambi Stadium in WPL last year was 156.
Stats and trivia
- DC’s middle order batters (Nos. 4 to 7) this year have the second-worst average by any team across those positions in a WPL season.
- Harmanpreet Kaur has hit eight sixes so far this season, the most by an MI batter.
- DC’s bowlers have taken just three powerplay wickets in four matches, the fewest of all teams this season.
Previous meeting
Earlier this season, MI dominated DC, with Sciver-Brunt and Harmanpreet scoring half-centuries and Carey and Amelia Kerr taking three-fors. Chasing 196, DC collapsed to 33 for 4 inside the powerplay and never recovered, losing by 50 runs.
Srinidhi Ramanujam is a sub-editor with ESPNcricinfo
