Chandigarh: As the Mumbai Indians, champions of the inaugural T20 Women’s Premier League (WPL), commence their campaign against the Delhi Capitals in Vadodara on Saturday, all attention will be directed towards captain Harmanpreet Kaur. She was rested during the series against Ireland and missed two home matches against the West Indies due to a knee injury.

Fans are eager to witness her explosive batting, particularly her ability to hit significant sixes. Additionally, Kaur, who will celebrate her 36th birthday next month, views the WPL as an opportunity to return to form and address her fitness concerns.

A successful season in the WPL would bolster Kaur's confidence, as she is expected to play a crucial role as India's primary middle-order batter in preparation for the ODI World Cup scheduled to take place in India in September.

In her capacity as captain, Kaur will collaborate closely with head coach and former England star Charlotte Edwards, fielding coach Nicole Bolton, and mentor Jhulan Goswami, who has been making a remarkable impact with the Bengal women’s team.

Despite their previous season ending with a narrow defeat to the eventual champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the Mumbai Indians are poised for a strong performance in their third season, determined to secure the title. Their roster boasts exceptional international all-rounders such as Nadine de Klerk, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Hayley Matthews, and Amelia Kerr, alongside promising domestic talents like Akshita Maheshwari, Sanskriti Gupta, and the 16-year-old G. Kamalini, who attracted significant attention during the WPL auction with a purchase price of ₹1.6 crore.

In contrast to the excitement surrounding India's victory in the U-19 Women’s World Cup in 2023, the triumph on February 2 for the second title did not generate the same level of fervour, as several members of the winning team have since joined their respective WPL franchises. It will be intriguing to observe how Kamalini, who scored two fifties as an opener during the latter stages of the junior World Cup, performs in the WPL.

South African imports Shabnim Ismail and Chloe Tryon significantly enhance the squad's capabilities.

In the previous season, Ismail achieved a remarkable milestone by delivering the fastest ball ever recorded in women's cricket at a speed of 132.1 kph, while also registering the highest number of dot balls (97) in the WPL. However, the injury to medium-pacer Pooja Vastrakar may pose challenges for the MI setup.

Before the tournament, Edwards emphasized a cultural transformation towards a more fearless style of play during their campaign, sharing insights during MI’s training sessions in Navi Mumbai. “The past few days have been exceptional. With many Indian domestic players present, our coaching team has been able to invest considerable time in their development. A significant portion of our training has focused on match scenarios, placing them in various situations that we anticipate they will encounter during the WPL. We hope this has provided them with valuable insights into their current standing,” she articulated.

“Every player joining MI should ideally understand the expectations placed upon them. Equally crucial is the aggressive mindset we aim to maintain in our batting, bowling, and fielding – this is a principle we have endeavoured to instil in most of the players,” Edwards further remarked.

MI is one of the three teams scheduled to compete in league matches across all four cities hosting WPL 2025. They are also set to play the final match of the league stage, which could be advantageous if the situation becomes competitive, as they will be aware of the precise qualification scenarios.

MI team: Amanjot Kaur, Amelia Kerr, Chloe Tryon, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Hayley Matthews, G Kamalini, Jintimani Kalita, Natalie Sciver, Akshita Maheshwari, Pooja Vastrakar, Saika Ishaque, Yastika Bhatia, Shabnim Ismail, Amanjot Kaur, S. Sajana, Keerthana, Nadine de Klerk, Sanskriti Gupta.

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