WPL 2024: Toss emerges as key factor in Bengaluru leg of Women’s Premier League as chasing teams rule the roost

In all five games, teams that have won the toss have chosen to chase, and barring UP Warriorz, which lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore by two runs, all those teams have ended up on the winning side.

DC’s Marizanne Kapp, MI’s Shabnim Ismail (pic) and RCB’s Renuka Singh Thakur have been successful in leading their team’s charge early on with the ball. | Photo Credit: MURALI KUMAR K/THE HINDU

Choosing to field first after winning the toss at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium is a no-brainer in. The high altitude, the small ground and the dew factor are known to all.

This trend holds true in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2024 matches held here.

In all five games, teams that have won the toss have chosen to chase, and barring UP Warriorz, which lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore by two runs, all those teams have ended up on the winning side.

After the first two nail-biters, a glaring winning pattern has emerged in the last three games. The top three teams - Royal Challengers, Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals - have utilised the PowerPlay to perfection, using their pacers to get early breakthroughs.

DC’s Marizanne Kapp, MI’s Shabnim Ismail and RCB’s Renuka Singh Thakur have been successful in leading their team’s charge early on. All three have used stump-to-stump lines and swung the new ball to force the batters to make mistakes.

After the pacers set the stage, the spinners take over. Sophie Molineux for RCB, Radha Yadav for DC and Amelia Kerr for MI have seamlessly sustained the pressure, accounting for 11 wickets between them.

The common factor that unite all teams that have achieved early success is their use of utility.

Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz, the two teams that are yet to open their account in WPL 2024, haven’t been able to adapt to the conditions.

The Giants lost to RCB after managing only 107 runs batting first.

“Obviously, the conditions are in the favour of those teams that win the toss. But I don’t believe it’s difficult to win a game when you bat first. In the first six to 10 overs, you just have to be really disciplined,” Giants skipper Mooney said after the game against RCB.

“You should be aware of your scoring opportunities and what shots to play, assess them quickly, and ensure that the dugout understands what the wickets are doing. Perhaps we haven’t adapted as quickly as other teams who have batted first. So, moving forward, we need to figure out how to bat first on these wickets,” she added.