UP Warriorz and defending champions Mumbai Indians will clash in yet another Women's Premier League (WPL) encounter in the Delhi leg of the tournament on Thursday. After facing two consecutive defeats first up, UP Warriorz Women managed to bag a couple of victories. However, they suffered a 23-run loss at the hands of Royal Challengers Bangalore Women in their last match. Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians Women have been topsy-turvy after a strong start. They have lost two of their last three games, including a loss in their previous outing against the Delhi Capitals Women. (Full Coverage|Schedule And Points Table)
Both teams will play their sixth match of the tournament as they face each other. When they last met earlier this season, UP Warriorz beat Mumbai by seven wickets. Mumbai will be keen to settle scores in the reverse fixture.
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Grace Harris has been the most successful batter for the UP Warriorz while Sophie Ecclestone has picked up the most wickets for them with the ball. As for the Mumbai Indians, inconsistency in their top order will be a cause for worry. Amelia Kerr has done well for them with the ball so far.
UP Warriorz vs Mumbai Indians Squads:
UP Warriorz Women:
Alyssa Healy (c&wk), Kiran Navgire, Chamari Athapaththu, Grace Haris, Shweta Sehrawat, Deepti Sharma, Poonam Khemnar, Sophie Ecclestone, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Saima Thakor, Anjali Sarvani, Danielle Wyatt, Tahlia McGrath, Laxmi Yadav, Vrinda Dinesh, Parshavi Chopra, Soppadhandi Yashasri, Gouher Sultana
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Mumbai Indians Women:
Hayley Matthews, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Amelia Kerr, Amanjot Kaur, Pooja Vastrakar, S Sajana, Shabnim Ismail, Humaira Kazi, Saika Ishaque, Issy Wong, Keerthana Balakrishnan, Chloe Tryon, Fatima Jaffer, Jintimani Kalita, Priyanka Bala, Amandeep Kaur
With both teams eyeing a win, this will be an exciting fixture at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Thursday, and here are the three key player battles worth looking out for:
1. Alyssa Healy vs Nat Sciver-Brunt
UP Warriorz skipper Alyssa Healy is a seasoned campaigner. However, she has yet to display her explosive best. While she will be keen to return to form and lead from the front, she will face a tough challenge from Mumbai all-rounder and pacer Nat Sciver-Brunt. Brunt is equally experienced and will look to outplay her Aussie counterpart in this battle.
2. Amelia Kerr vs Sophie Ecclestone
Amelia Kerr has displayed good form with the bat for Mumbai Indians Women. Her contributions in the middle order have been vital. Meanwhile, Sophie Ecclestone is the highest wicket-taker for the UP Warriorz this season. Amelia will have to tackle her spin and Ecclestone will look forward to getting the better of the Mumbai player as soon as possible.
3. Kiran Navgire vs Shabnim Ismail
Kiran Navgire is a hard-hitting opener and has looked to make the most of the powerplay while batting for the UP Warriorz. She will have the responsibility to get her team off to a solid start. However, she will have to deal with the fiery pace of Shabnim Ismail upfront. Ismail is one of the best in the business and is known to make early inroads with the new ball.
