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The Delhi Capitals were the table-toppers of the inaugural Women's Premier League tournament last season. They played against the Mumbai Indians in the final, where they suffered a tense defeat.
The Capitals have assembled a strong squad for the WPL 2024 season as well. They shelled out ₹2 crore to sign Australian star Annabel Sutherland and also roped in uncapped players Ashwani Kumari and Aparna Mondal for the new season.
Here's a look at their full team:
DC's squad for WPL 2024: Meg Lanning (c), Minnu Mani, Poonam Yadav, Radha Yadav, Shafali Verma, Shikha Pandey, Sneha Deepthi, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Alice Capsey, Arundhati Reddy, Jemimah Rodrigues, Jess Jonassen, Laura Harris, Marizanne Kapp, Titas Sadhu, Annabel Sutherland, Aparna Mondal (wk) and Ashwani Kumari.
The Delhi Capitals will start their WPL 2024 campaign against the defending champions tonight at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Before DC kick off their new season, here's a look at three reasons why the Capitals can become WPL 2024 champions.
#1 Delhi Capitals have a settled squad for WPL 2024
A team that managed to top the points table in the first season of any tournament generally has all bases covered. The Delhi Capitals team management did an excellent job at the inaugural auction last year.
To fill up for one of the weaknesses in the team, the Capitals have signed Annabel Sutherland. DC already had a settled squad, and the addition of a player who can solve the few troubles that the team faced will only help them perform better.
Also, Sutherland brings a lot of experience to the group. The all-rounder is just 22 years old, but she has represened Australia Women in five Tests, 29 ODIs and 28 T20Is.
#2 DC skipper Meg Lanning knows how to win trophies
The Delhi Capitals have retained Meg Lanning as their captain for the WPL 2024 season. Many fans would know that Lanning is the most successful captain in women's cricket, having led the Australian women's cricket team to four T20 World Cup titles and one ODI World Cup championship.
Lanning also has the backing of Sourav Ganguly, who is present in the support staff. The combination of Lanning and Ganguly should help the Capitals make the most out of their available resources and lift the first championship in the franchise's history.
#3 Delhi Capitals will have home support this year
Home support plays a big role in any sport. The support and cheers from the fans in attendance boosts the confidence of the players. Last year, the entire WPL happened in Mumbai. This time, the BCCI has allotted the hosting rights to Bengaluru and Delhi.
The final of WPL 2024 will happen in Delhi as well. If the Capitals manage to top the standings once again, they will have home advantage in the summit clash. It will be interesting to see if Meg Lanning can lift the WPL trophy this year.
The Women's Premier League will kick off tonight at 7:30 PM IST.
