WPL: Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians eye the big prize

Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians face off in the Women's Premier League final, showcasing star power and high stakes.

Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians have been here before. In 2023, it was these two heavyweights that squared off in the grand finale of the inaugural Women’s Premier League and vied for the tag of champion. On that March night at the Brabourne Stadium, a brisk walk away from Marine Drive, Harmanpreet Kaur’s team was clinical and celebrated with the glittering trophy by its side.

With the third season having had a longer span and traversed more venues, an indicator of the T20 league’s steady growth, there’s arguably greater satisfaction to be derived from prevailing in Saturday’s high-stakes battle at this iconic venue. Which team that will be, though, is anybody’s guess.

Both outfits are brimming with match-winners. For Mumbai Indians, its A-listers came to the fore in some style against Gujarat Giants in the Eliminator on Thursday. Hayley Matthews and Nat Sciver-Brunt predictably set the tone, stitching together a 133-run partnership that pretty much batted GG out of the contest. Their importance to MI on Saturday cannot be overstated, for they have the calibre to turn on the switch in a trice. Their numbers are imposing: Sciver-Brunt’s 493 runs are the most by anyone this season. Matthews is third in the list with 304 runs, and also leads the wicket-takers’ tally with 17 scalps. Amelia Kerr, another MI star, is a close second with 16 scalps. There’s also the pace of Shabnim Ismail to contend with.

Such pedigree could overawe most teams, but Delhi Capitals has a squad of similar stature. In Meg Lanning and Shafali Verma, it has an opening duo that provides a solid foundation consistently. While Jemimah Rodrigues hasn’t been among the runs this season, Jess Jonassen, Annabel Sutherland and Marizanne Kapp have plenty of ammunition in the middle-order.

Just as pertinent will be how DC’s bowlers fare against Sciver-Brunt and Co. Particularly if Shikha Pandey’s new-ball burst doesn’t yield a couple of breakthroughs, it may exert pressure on spinners Jonassen and Minnu Mani.

These subplots can hopefully result in a grand ending to a tournament that has done its bit to entertain us over the past month.