MI-W vs DC-W (Source: @randomcricstat/X.com)
It's time for match number 2 in the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2025, where the inaugural champions, Mumbai Indians Women (MI-W), are all set to take on Delhi Capitals Women (DC-W) at the Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara. This exciting encounter will take place on Saturday, February 15th, 2025, from 7:30 PM IST.
Mumbai Indians Women
Mumbai Indians, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, won the inaugural season and finished third after losing the eliminator in the previous season. The Mumbai side is full of superstars, consisting of Hayley Matthews, Natalie Sciver-Brunt, Amelia Kerr, Yastika Bhatia, and Saika Ishaque, while also having Shabnim Ismail.
Their biggest concern right now is the injury to their premium pacer, Pooja Vastrakar, who was ruled out of the tournament and has been replaced by under-19 left-arm spinner, Parunika Sisodia. They have a balanced squad with a decent batting lineup and extremely talented bowlers who can turn the match in their favour. Moreover, with the addition of Nadine De Klerk and G Kamalini, they look more formidable than ever.
Delhi Capitals Women
Meanwhile, Delhi Capitals Women, led by experienced Australian Meg Lanning, would still be feeling the pinch of finishing second on the podium two consecutive times after losing to Royal Challengers Bengaluru previously. On the squad front, they have added wicketkeeper batter Nandini Kashyap into the lineup while also having Tanya Bhatia, which could prove to be a very calculated move considering that most of the personnel are the same.
As for Delhi, their biggest strength is the leadership of Lanning, who has the ability to read the game and implement her strategies well. They also boast high-profile players in the form of Shafali Verma, Alice Capsey, Jemimah Rodrigues, Marizanne Kapp, Jess Jonassen, Shikha Pandey, Arundhati Reddy, and Radha Yadav, who all can perform exceptionally well on their day.
MI-W vs DC-W: Head-To-Head In WPL
| Criterion | Data |
|---|---|
| Matches Played | 5 |
| Mumbai Indians Women Won | 3 |
| Delhi Capitals Women Won | 2 |
| No Result | 0 |
How Will The Kotambi Stadium Pitch Behave?
Talking about the pitch at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara, it proved to be an extremely high-scoring venue considering the first game that happened here yesterday, as RCB chased down 202 easily with nine deliveries to spare. This proves that the surface is extremely batting-supportive, which means big scores in excess of 200 can be chased without much hassle.
As for bowlers, they will have to be consistent with the line and length and not give batters easy deliveries to score runs. Pacers will not be getting much help, whereas spinners will find it difficult but can exploit the conditions well if they bowl tight lines. Otherwise, this is an absolute batting paradise. Therefore, we can assume that the team winning the toss will likely bowl first at this venue, as big scores can be easily chased here.
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Players to Watch Out For in MI-W vs DC-W Match 2
Key Players For Mumbai Indians Women
Harmanpreet Kaur
The dynamic Mumbai Indians power-hitting skipper Harmanpreet Kaur has been highly consistent in the WPL with 549 runs overall in 17 matches at an average of 45.75 while striking at an impressive 137.93. Her leadership skills set her apart, with plenty of experience under her belt.
Hayley Matthews
West-Indian all-rounder Hayley Matthews is another massive name in the WPL with an overall 451 runs in 19 matches, coming at an average of 25.05, where she struck runs at 120.58. But more impressive has been her off-spin bowling, where she has picked 23 wickets in the same number of matches as her economy rate is just 6.66, averaging 17.95.
Natalie Sciver-Brunt
The English all-rounder Natalie Sciver-Brunt is a powerhouse for her WPL side Mumbai Indians, as she has scored 504 runs in 19 matches, averaging 36 and striking runs at 132.28. Nat has picked up 20 wickets at an economy of 7.50, averaging 22.15, making her an extremely competitive player from around the world.
Amelia Kerr
New Zealand's Amelia Kerr has been a prolific all-rounder with plenty of experience playing worldwide. The leg-spinner, who can bat anywhere in the batting lineup, has 364 runs in her WPL career with an average and strike rate of 36.40 and 130.93, respectively. In the same number of matches, she has picked up 22 crucial wickets at an economy of 7.57, averaging 19.50.
Key Players For Delhi Capitals Women
Meg Lanning
Highly experienced Delhi Capitals skipper Meg Lanning is the reason why their side reached two consecutive finals. The Australian, who bats at the top of the order, has a whopping 676 runs in 18 matches at an average of 42.25. During this time, she has struck runs at an impressive 130.75 while having 6 half-centuries to her name.
Shafali Verma
Lanning's opening partner, Shafali Verma, is nowhere behind on the charts with 561 runs in her WPL career so far, with an average of 35.06 as she has struck runs at 168.46 in 18 matches. To complement this, she also has five half-centuries to her name.
Jemimah Rodrigues
Jemimah Rodrigues has established herself as one of the most dependable players, and her performance has improved after each and every game. In 18 matches for Delhi Capitals, Jemimah has scored 361 runs at an outstanding strike rate of 143.82, where she has averaged 32.81. Her ability to contribute with the bat at any stage makes her a valuable asset.
Marizanne Kapp
Powerful South African Marizanne Kapp is a highly crucial all-rounder for any side she plays for. In 16 WPL matches, she has scored 256 runs while picking up 20 wickets for her side. Her batting average at the same time is 32, while her bowling economy has been unbelievable at 5.96.
Today's Match Prediction: MI-W vs DC-W Match 2
Predicted Top Performers
Mumbai Indians Women – Harmanpreet Kaur, Natalie Sciver-Brunt, Amelia Kerr
Delhi Capitals Women – Meg Lanning, Jemimah Rodrigues, Marizanne Kapp
MI-W vs DC-W Match 2: Predicted Score
Predicted first innings score: 190-200
Predicted second innings score: 185-195
Predicted Result: The team bowling first will likely have an edge in this encounter.
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