Stopping Mumbai Indians’ juggernaut seems like an impossible mission in the Women’s Premier League. Across two seasons, it has only lost two games.
After losing a close encounter to Royal Challengers Bangalore and a nine-wicket hammering by Delhi Capitals on Monday, it will be an uphill task for Warriorz to break the Mumbai deadlock. But having previously beaten MI and being one of only two teams to do so would give some hope to the Alyssa Healy side when it faces the defending champion on Wednesday here at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Healy is yet to find her footing in the tournament. Her back-to-back failures would tense the team management. Her opening partner, Vrinda Dinesh, hasn’t also contributed with the bat. Apart from her fielding, the 23-year-old would need to step up her game in other departments.
The biggest worry for Warriorz would be their middle order consisting of experienced Tahlia McGrath and Grace Harris.
While both McGrath and Harris are proven match winners and need no introduction in any line-up, the team would desperately need the Australian duo to fire.
The team that played against DC was very unidimensional as well. It did not have any left-handed batters in the mix. The only southpaw is Deepti Sharma, coming in at No. 8. Same goes for its bowling. In a line-up comprising left-arm spinners Sophie Ecclestone, Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Gouher Sultana, Deepti is the only right-arm tweaker.
As of now, Shweta Sehrawat appears to be the lone silver lining in batting for the UP team. Her 45 against Delhi Capitals and 31 against Royal Challengers Bangalore came in adverse situations as the recently turned 20-year-old showed the right temperament.
But both Shweta and Kiran Navgire injured themselves during the Capitals match. Navgire dropped a catch and the ball hit her forehead, while boundary-rider Shweta slipped on the ball at deep mid-wicket while saving a boundary.
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For MI, there are positives aplenty. While Shabnim Ismail, Amelia Kerr and Harmanpreet Kaur shone in both games, Yastika Bhatia’s swashbuckling fifty in the first game helped MI to a winning start.
Harmanpreet is back among the runs after donning the Mumbai pink and blue. It was business as usual for consistent Kerr. However, it was Ismail who has impressed the most.
Opener Hayley Matthews is yet to unleash her full potential. The World No. 1 T20I all-rounder has only managed seven runs in the first two matches while leaking 54 in her six overs, taking just a solitary wicket. And Nat Sciver-Brunt, who has 41 runs at a strike rate of 117, would also want to score some runs with the bat.
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