DC vs MI Match Prediction: Who will win today’s WPL 2024 match?

The two best teams in last year's Women's Premier League (WPL) will kick off the new campaign at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Friday, February 23.

The Mumbai Indians (MI) and the Delhi Capitals (DC), who finished in the top two in 2023, have plenty of big-ticket players. These players helped the former clinch the inaugural title and the latter finish atop the points table at the end of the league stage.

This year, though, things are different. Delhi captain Meg Lanning has retired from international cricket, with her appearances limited to sporadic ones in domestic competitions. Meanwhile, both teams have gotten significantly stronger following the WPL 2024 auction.

Their head-to-head meetings don't reveal much about where they stand and how they match up. MI have won two of their three clashes, including the all-important final. Interestingly, all three have been won by the chasing team.

WPL 2024 promises to be a competitive affair, and a contest between two of the best teams is a good way to commence it. Can MI continue their dominant run in the league? Or will DC set the tone for another productive campaign?

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WPL 2024, Match 1: Last year's finalists kick off a new campaign, as usual

Meg Lanning in action: WPL 2023 - Delhi Capitals v Mumbai Indians

Can Meg Lanning stay up to speed with the top level after stepping down from international cricket? She's been in decent form for Victoria, but the WPL has proven to be a high standard of the sport. The DC skipper can't afford to take time to acclimatize and will need to elevate her opening partner, Shafali Verma, as well.

Delhi have made an important acquisition, that of Annabel Sutherland. The Aussie all-rounder is in red-hot form and could replace her compatriot Jess Jonassen in the playing XI from last year.

Batting depth isn't something DC will be known for in WPL 2024, but they have enough in the tank in the form of Lanning, Shafali, Sutherland, and Alice Capsey. They can afford to stock up on bowlers since most of their options in that department can chip in with a few runs.

However, that said, MI are a different beast altogether. In Hayley Matthews, Nat Sciver-Brunt, and Amelia Kerr, the defending champions have the equivalent of six cricketers in their top order alone.

Harmanpreet Kaur has been woefully out of form in international cricket, but that was the case last year as well until she turned up the dial in the WPL. The MI skipper was in sizzling form in the previous edition of the franchise tournament, and if she comes to the party, Mumbai will be unbeatable once again.

In Shabnim Ismail, MI have signed some good competition for Issy Wong, thereby strengthening their bowling attack even further. It's hard to pick against them following a signing of Ismail's caliber, and it was hard to pick against them even before that - they're just that good.

MI will hope that the men's team's tendency to come to the party late doesn't affect them as well. Barring any unforeseen factors, Harmanpreet and Co. should be able to make a winning start to their campaign.

Prediction: MI to win Match 1 of WPL 2024.