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WPL Team Analysis: Can Smriti Mandhana clinch the title this season? A Quick Guide to Five Franchises.
WPL Season 2: A Comprehensive Quick Guide to Each of the Five Franchises Ahead of the Women's Premier League Cricket Tournament
Published: Feb 23, 2024, 12:09 PM (IST)
Edited: Feb 23, 2024, 12:09 PM (IST)
As the Women’s Premier League starts in Bengaluru this Friday, there’s a lot of excitement about how the second season will go after the first one was successful.
Here’s a simple guide to the five teams playing in WPL 2024.
2023: Champions
The team that won the first edition of the tournament is expected to be strong contenders in the second season as well. Mumbai Indians have a well-rounded squad, with a large number of all-rounders. With the addition of Shabnim Ismail, their squad gets even stronger, and players like Nat Sciver and Katherine Brunt are expected to perform well. Led by Harmanpreet Kaur, they will be a challenging team to defeat, but also face high expectations from fans. Harmanpreet’s performance as captain will be closely watched, and the inclusion of new domestic spinners adds excitement to their lineup. Additionally, Mumbai Indians are unique in the league as they don’t have any Australian players in their squad.
2023: Runners-up
Meg Lanning, who recently retired from international cricket, is back with renewed determination, which is a significant boost for DC during the off-season. Her presence will be particularly beneficial for Shafali Verma, the Indian opener, who aims to replicate her successful performance from 2023. Marizanne Kapp joins the team in excellent form, adding to their strength. Annabel Sutherland’s inclusion, despite being a high-profile signing, further bolsters their already strong pace-bowling lineup. DC faced challenges in spin bowling and batting depth in the previous season, so they are relying on players like Radha Yadav and Minnu Mani to step up this time. With Lanning’s strong aversion to losing tournaments, DC is definitely a team to watch out for.
UP Warriorz
2023: Eliminator
After their defeat in the 2023 Eliminator, Alyssa Healy expressed disappointment at not reaching the final but highlighted the team’s efforts throughout the season to provide opportunities to young domestic players. Now, players like Parshavi Chopra, Shweta Sehrawat, and S Yashasri aim to prove their worth in the upcoming season. However, there will be pressure on their sole Indian international player, Deepti Sharma, who struggled with batting and had mixed performances with the ball last year. The team, particularly Healy & Co, relies heavily on their star overseas players, with Chamari Athapaththu being an intriguing late addition.
2023: Fourth
Smriti Mandhana and her team are strong contenders on paper. Despite not meeting expectations last season, RCB has made efforts to address their shortcomings. The addition of spin bowlers like Georgia Wareham and Ekta Bisht is a significant improvement. With Smriti and Richa Ghosh, RCB boasts two of India’s most promising batting talents, and the captain will be eager to perform well, especially at home. Shreyanka Patil has had a successful year and needs to continue improving. With a new coach, Luke Williams, and exciting new players, could this be RCB’s year?
Gujarat Giants
2023: Fifth
TRENDING NOW
Gujarat Giants has made significant changes since the 2023 season. Despite having a strong squad, they didn’t perform as expected in their first season. They have a new coach, Michael Klinger, and Beth Mooney returns as captain after missing out due to an injury in the previous season. The team’s most exciting addition is Phoebe Litchfield, a talented batter from Australia who recently impressed during a tour of India. However, the team’s decision to overlook prominent Indian players in the first auction raises concerns about the depth of domestic talent. Nonetheless, vice-captain Sneh Rana aims to regain her place in the Indian team through strong performances.