"Head and shoulders above the rest" - Aakash Chopra picks the reasons behind Mumbai Indians' domination in WPL 2023

Aakash Chopra has pinpointed a few reasons behind the Mumbai Indians' (MI) domination in the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2023 thus far.

MI have registered convincing wins in all five of the matches they have played to date. They are the only team to have booked their spot in the knockout stages so far and are looking to finish atop the points table to earn a direct entry into the final.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra picked the plethora of all-rounders in the Mumbai Indians' side as one of the primary reasons for their success, saying:

"What an amazing team they have made - head and shoulders above the rest. The biggest features of this team - firstly a team of all-rounders. The Mumbai Indians like that, that's the brand of cricket they play."

The former Indian opener feels Harmanpreet Kaur's consistent run with the bat has helped the franchise's cause immensely, elaborating:

"The way Harmanpreet Kaur has played, she is incredibly consistent. Because she plays at No. 4, she doesn't get to bat always but she hits whenever she gets to bat. Miss Kaur has almost become like Thor. She hits less sixes and more fours. She hit 14 fours in the first match, which included seven fours of as many balls."

Harmanpreet has smashed 180 runs in just four innings at an outstanding average of 90.00 and an equally impressive strike rate of 178.21. She has struck 32 fours and three sixes in the 101 balls she has faced.

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"Hayley Matthews is unbelievable" - Aakash Chopra on the Mumbai Indians all-rounder's performances with both bat and ball

Hayley Matthews has been one of the best all-rounders in WPL 2023. [P/C: WPL/Twitter]

Chopra praised Yastika Bhatia and Hayley Matthews for giving the Mumbai Indians excellent starts, with the latter shining with the ball as well, stating:

"Yastika Bhatia - we talk about driving and say that Smriti Mandhana plays very good drives. If you see Yastika Bhatia's drives, you will say the girl is amazing. Hayley Matthews is unbelievable. It was very strange how no one bought her at the start."

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Nat Sciver-Brunt and Amelia Kerr have also delivered the goods with both bat and ball, observing:

"Then Nat Sciver-Brunt, who is one of the best all-rounders in the world, is batting very well. Gets the ball to move when she bowls with the new ball. Last but not the least, one of my favorite cricketers in the world, Amelia Kerr, is also doing a very good job."

Chopra lauded the Purple Cap holder Saika Ishaque, highlighting that it is not easy to read her and score runs against her. He concluded by asking for a final berth to be booked for the Mumbai Indians.