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UP Warriorz (UPW) and Delhi Capitals (DC) will cross swords in the fourth match of the ongoing second edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL) on Monday, February 26. Both teams lost their respective first encounters and one of the teams will finally get their first points this season.
UPW and DC were part of thrilling affairs but ended on the losing side. The Alyssa Healy-led side lost to the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by a mere two runs while chasing a 158-run target in the second game of the season. Asha Sobhana's five-wicket haul made sure that the Women in Yellow and Purple didn't clinch a win.
Meanwhile, Meg Lanning and Co. lost the curtain raiser against defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) on the ultimate delivery of the game, in a re-match of the inaugural edition's final. Chasing a 172-run target, the game went down the wire as Harmanpreet Kaur's side required five runs off the final delivery to win.
The skipper's wicket on the penultimate delivery put MI under pressure, but S Sajana rose to the occasion and showcased nerves of steel. She walked in to bat at No. 8 and hit a humungous six off the last delivery to seal the deal for the reigning champions.
With both sides looking for a win now, let us look at the combined playing XI from the UPW and DC squads ahead of their clash at the WPL 2024.
Top-Order: Alyssa Healy (wk), Meg Lanning (c), Shafali Verma
The opening combination of this XI would be a deadly one, with Delhi captain Meg Lanning and her partner Shafali Verma taking charge. Though the top-order here fills half of the overseas slots, with UPW skipper Alyssa Healy taking the No. 3 spot, the power that the three bring in is immense.
Two of the most decorated players of the sport, Healy and Lanning taking care of the top-order in this lineup would only see fireworks, given their expertise and experience of playing in that role. Lanning and Verma shared some memorable partnerships last season, and hence they'd be the ideal opening pair.
Both Verma and Healy were dismissed cheaply in their respective previous games, but they'd be raring to go in the forthcoming match and would aim to get among the runs. A top-order lineup with three explosive batters would help the side settle pretty well in the powerplay.
Middle-Order: Jemimah Rodrigues, Shweta Sehrawat, Poonam Khemnar
Indian batting star Jemimah Rodrigues has been a prominent figure both at the WPL, for the Delhi Capitals, and in Team India's white-ball setup. She put up some worthy performances last year and contributed to her side reaching the summit clash. Rodrigues picked up from where she had left off last season and played a fiery knock (42 off 24) in DC's opener against MI.
Shweta Sehrawat has been in tremendous form of late, but couldn't put up her best in UPW's first game this season. Sehrawat was the leading run scorer at the U19 Women's World Cup and her recent exploits with the bat in the domestic tournaments make her one of the first names on the teamsheet.
Poonam Khemnar found herself a spot in UPW's playing XI in their game against RCB. She walked out to bat when the situation had slipped out of UPW's hands as the team was reduced to 127/5. In the seven deliveries that she faced, Poonam smashed three fours to quickly add runs to the scoreboard and improve her team's chances of finishing the chase.
All-rounders: Alice Capsey, Marizanne Kapp
Alice Capsey put up a dominating performance in Delhi's campaign opener against MI but her efforts went in vain. After a magnificent half-century in the first innings, Capsey bowled two overs and also picked up two wickets in the game's last over while defending 12 runs off it.
One of the finest new-ball bowlers to have graced the sport, South African all-rounder Marizanne Kapp is a must-have in a team's playing XI. In her first game this season against MI, she pulled off what she's best known for and sent the dangerous Hayley Matthews packing on just the second delivery of the game, thereby providing her side with the early breakthrough.
Bowlers: Arundhati Reddy, Shikha Pandey, Rajeshwari Gayakwad
Arundhati Reddy has not established her name on the international circuit but she never fails to surprise when given the ball. Even in the team's opening game against MI, Reddy picked up two crucial wickets of MI's top-order batters Yastika Bhatia and Natalie Sciver Brunt, thereby keeping her side's hopes alive.
Shikha Pandey's economy in DC's last game was on the higher side and she managed to pick up only one wicket, but the amount of experience that the pace spearhead brings in is incomparable. Having represented the Indian national team and Goa's domestic team, Pandey has proved her mettle time and again.
Another player with experience of representing her national side across all three formats is Rajeshwari Gayakwad, who rounds off this combined playing XI. One of the most prolific spinners, Gayakwad has been a captain's bowler and has managed to pick wickets whenever the situation demands.
Who will win today's WPL 2024 clash between UPW and DC? Let us know what you think.
