🏏WPL 2023 - Mumbai Indians W vs UP Warriorz W, Match 15 🏏

🏏WPL 2023 - Mumbai Indians W vs UP Warriorz W at Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai on 18/03/2023 at 3:30 PM IST🏏

Warriorz look to bounce back against dominant Mumbai as playoff race heats up.  With five wins on the trot, Mumbai are the only unbeaten side left in the competition.  There couldn't have been a worse time.

Right at the middle of the points table, with two pretty one-sided losses, there was no worse time for the UP Warriorz to run into a rampaging Mumbai Indians side. Amidst a mid-table panic, a crisis of confidence, it's the last thing they needed - coming up against an unbeaten team, right after losing to a team that lost an alarming five matches in a row. It's a bid for a top-two spot, and the UP Warriorz are about to face a trial by fire.

The last time the two sides met, at the Brabourne stadium, they were both in good nick. However, a middling score of 159 simply didn't seem to be good enough for a rampant Mumbai Indians batting line-up. Furthermore, the gulf between the Warriorz batters and the Mumbai Indians' batters grows further with the former relying heavily on their foreign recruits, and failing to play out twenty overs in their last outing.

Mumbai's batting has been leagues ahead of its competition this season, but their bowling has exceeded expectations, keeping the Gujarat batting line-up 55 short of their target in the last game, with Saika Ishaque and Hayley Mathews topping the bowling charts this season.

However, UP's batting certainly has the mettle. It's the bowling that has struggled of late, and it will be up to them to stop the Mumbai Indians' juggernaut on their tracks. All eyes will be on Sophie Ecclestone, the top T20 bowler in the world, who hasn't had the best tournament by her standards, to finally stop the rampaging Mumbai batting line-up.

Teams

UP Warriorz

Probable XI: Alyssa Healy (C), Devika Vaidya, Kiran Navgire, Tahlia McGrath, Grace Harris, Simran Shaikh, Deepti Sharma, Shweta Sehrawat, Sophie Ecclestone, Anjali Sarwani, Rajeshwari Gayakwad

Mumbai Indians

Probable XI: Yastika Bhatia, Hayley Matthews, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Amelia Kerr, Issy Wong, Humaira Kazi, Dhara Gujjar, Amanjot Kaur, Jintimani Kalita

Mumbai Indians Women vs UP Warriorz Pitch Report

The pitch at Dr DY Patil Sports Academy is a spin-friendly one. The batters are struggling to get going while batting at this venue. It is a day game and the spinners are expected to play a vital role while bowling here.

Mumbai Indians Women vs UP Warriorz Weather Forecast

Clear skies will greet both sides on Saturday, with the temperature expected to range between 24 to 33 degrees Celsius.

Players to watch

Saika Ishaque has been phenomenal with her bowling for Mumbai, leading the wicket-taking charts with 12 scalps from five matches at an economy rate of 5.66.

Grace Harris hit 46 and an unbeaten 59 in the two innings that she played, at a stunning strike rate of 181.03. Warriorz would expect a similar knock from her come Saturday at DY Patil Stadium.

Thank you, Raj, for the tag and for posting the thread. 🤗 

Of course, I am always a MI team supporter. 😃 

Stats and trivia

• Harmanpreet Kaur has hit three fifties in the WPL, the most for any player.

• Issy Wong has the best economy rate of 5.18 in the tournament.

• Only Ecclestone has conceded less than seven runs an over in Warriorz's bowling attack.

Quotes

"We're just trying to be consistent. We've got players taking wickets and scoring runs well. We just don't want to be complacent. We're doing well, playing from the heart and enjoying ourselves."

Mumbai Indians captain Harmanpreet Kaur after qualifying for the final

 This is a crucial came for the UP Warriorz, having slipped in their last two games. They still have things in their hands though. 

They have an extra game left compared to the GG and RCB, who have only two each left. Alyssa Healy and Co. have the potential to finish with 10 points and advance to the playoffs. But they are up against the mighty Mumbai Indians, who haven't put a foot wrong thus far. In terms of conditions, we have seen pitches slow down recently in the comp. 

So pace off is going to be key, more so in a day game. A win today for the Warriorz could upset RCB's applecart, so even Smriti and Co. would be invested in this game.

Hello and welcome to ESPNcricinfo's live coverage of Match 15 of the WPL between the Mumbai Indians and the UP Warriorz. I am Shashwat Kumar and I will be your eyes and ears for everything that happens tonight.

The Mumbai Indians have already secured a playoff berth, with three matches to spare. Their batters have thrived in batting-friendly conditions and even when stroke-making has not been very conducive, they have found a way to post above-par totals on the board.

Captain Harmanpreet Kaur has led from the front. Hayley Matthews and Nat Sciver-Brunt have also been pivotal, with Yastika Bhatia enhancing her reputation at the top of the order. Mumbai might even be tempted to give their fringe players a go, although they would ideally want to finish top, which would then guarantee a direct route into the final.

The UP Warriorz, though, still have plenty to do to finish in the top three. They sit on four points currently and while their fate is still very much in their own hands, they need to get back to winning ways, having lost their two most recent encounters.

Alyssa Healy has already shown what she is capable of. Tahlia McGrath, too, has provided glimpses of the destruction she can cause. There remains a question mark over whether Grace Harris will play, considering UP have not been hesitant to shuffle their pack and team balance. They have enough experience, firepower and pedigree to beat any side in the competition. Considering how indomitable Mumbai have looked, that might be easier said than done.

Grace Harris, UP Warriorz all-rounder: (On her batting) You can't really take in last games into this game. But it is good to score runs and get some confidence in the Indian conditions. I am enjoying myself out there. It is a big game for us today. We are in third place at the moment. A few more wins and we might be able to lock in a playoffs spot. Against Mumbai, we are really looking forward to challenging ourselves against the benchmark team. Amelia Kerr is probably a big player for them and Harmanpreet Kaur. Looking to neutralise their best weapons. For us, Alyssa Healy needs to start big for us. We love the support from Mumbai and when I have come to India, I have only ever been here. The Aussie boys and the Indian boys have come in here to finish their ODI game and it has been good to get that support.