The Delhi Capitals (DC) and the UP Warriorz (UPW), two teams with a winning start behind them, will face off in the fifth match of the inaugural Women’s Premier League (WPL) at the DY Patil Stadium on Tuesday, March 7.
The DC team led by Meg Lanning started their WPL season by crushing Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to get their first points.
At the Brabourne Stadium, the WPL played for the first time in the afternoon, Delhi put on an all-around show to win the match by 60 runs.
In contrast, the UP Warriorz’s entry into the WPL required a miraculous victory over the Gujarat Giants (GG). Grace Harris’ superb strike was all that Grace Harris needed to shock GG and rescue the team led by Alyssa Healy from defeat.
It is anticipated that the upcoming matchup between DC and UPW will be a mouthwatering affair, with particular attention being paid to the contest between the DC opening batters and the UPW spinners.
#1 Shafali Varma vs Sophie Ecclestone
During DC’s opening match, the young opener was on fire and smashed RCB bowlers across the entire field to score a magnificent 84 runs. Shafali Verma is known for being aggressive, and the No. 1 T20I bowler, Sophie Ecclestone, will undoubtedly challenge her form.
With a strong spell in UPW’s victory in their first game, the England international demonstrated both her skill and her price tag. She won the bowlers’ vote with a score of 2-25.
Alyssa Healy’s primary weapon against Shafali, who has the potential to take the game away once settled in the powerplay, is the left-arm spinner, who is adept at bowling with the new ball.
#2 Meg Lanning vs Deepti Sharma
The DC captain helped Shafali Verma win the first game by scoring 72 runs in a 164-run partnership with the first wicket. The fact that the RCB bowlers were unable to contain Lanning in the powerplay was one of their biggest flaws against her.
Deepti Sharma’s new-ball skills will be crucial against the Australian captain. During the Women’s T20 World Cup semi-final, the two teams were on opposite sides. However, in the final over, Lanning scored an unbeaten 49.
Healy would hope that the offspinner would get the wicket of the captain of her national team to get UPW off to a good start and put the DC middle order to the test, something that the RCB bowlers couldn’t do in their first WPL match.
#3 Marizanne Kapp vs Alyssa Healy
The Australian wicketkeeper-batswoman did not have the best tournament start. In her WPL debut, she was caught and bowled by fellow countrywoman Kim Garth and was run out for just seven runs.
Marizanne Kapp, an all-rounder who also had a bad day at the office with the ball against RCB, may present her with a new challenge. After her illustrative appearance in the first innings, the Proteas all-rounder gave up 36 runs and no wickets.
During the Women’s T20 World Cup final in 2023, the right-arm pacer defeated Healy and will be hoping to do so once more. Kapp will be the ideal counter at the other end with the new ball, and the opening batter will be looking to get her team off to a great start, something she has done numerous times for her national team.