Both teams were finalists in the first WPL edition in 2023 and reached the knockouts last year but fell short against eventual champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru—Mumbai Indians exiting in the Eliminator and Delhi Capitals falling in the final.
Despite those setbacks, MI and DC were dominant in the league stage. Harmanpreet Kaur’s Mumbai Indians secured five wins in eight matches to finish second on the points table, while Meg Lanning’s Delhi Capitals topped the standings with six victories from as many games.
With Harmanpreet at the helm, MI boasts international stars like England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt, West Indies’ Hayley Matthews, New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr, and South Africans Nadine de Klerk, Shabnim Ismail, and Chloe Tryon.
Yastika Bhatia remains MI’s primary wicketkeeper-batter, while Indian players like Saika Ishaque, Sajana Sajeevan, uncapped Akshita Maheshwari, and Amanjot Kaur will be expected to step up.
Meanwhile, Delhi Capitals will be eager to go one step further after finishing runners-up in both WPL seasons. As one of the most consistent teams in the competition, Lanning-led DC has a well-rounded squad, but the key will be delivering in high-pressure matches.
All eyes will be on the explosive Shafali Verma, who has responded to her omission from the Indian national team with strong performances in domestic cricket. She forms a formidable opening pair with Lanning, while the middle order is anchored by Australia’s Annabel Sutherland, England’s Alice Capsey, and India’s Jemimah Rodrigues.
Sutherland, an all-rounder, will look to carry forward her recent success—having scored 163 in the Women’s Ashes Test and securing Australian cricket’s highest individual honor.
Delhi Capitals have depth in the wicketkeeping department, with India’s Taniyaa Bhatia and Nandini Kashyap alongside Scotland’s Sarah Bryce. Their bowling attack appears well-balanced, with South Africa’s Marizanne Kapp leading the charge, supported by Australia’s Jess Jonassen and India’s Radha Yadav, Shikha Pandey, and Titas Sadhu.
Teams (from):
Mumbai Indians: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Akshita Maheshwari, Amandeep Kaur, Amanjot Kaur, Amelia Kerr, Chloe Tryon, Hayley Matthews, Jintimani Kalita, Keerthana Balakrishnan, Nadine de Klerk, Natalie Sciver-Brunt, Parunika Sisodia, Sajeevan Sajana, Sanskriti Gupta, G Kamalini (wk), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Saika Ishaque, Shabnim Ismail.
Delhi Capitals: Meg Lanning (c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Sneh Deepthi, Alice Capsey, Annabel Sutherland, Arundhati Reddy, Jess Jonassen, Marizanne Kapp, Minnu Mani, N Charani, Niki Prasad, Radha Yadav, Shikha Pandey, Nandini Kashyap (wk), Taniyaa Bhatia (wk), Sarah Bryce (wk), Titas Sadhu.
