🏏WPL 2023 - UP Warriorz W vs Mumbai Indians W: Eliminator🏏

🏏WPL 2023 - UP Warriorz W vs Mumbai Indians W: Eliminator at Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai on 24/03/2023 at 7:30PM IST🏏

How did Mumbai Indians land here is a legit question for a team that looked in autopilot mode, what with a perfect 5/5 start upfront irrespective of their captain's rotten luck with tosses. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side were the first ones to secure their knockouts qualification, but really dropped the ball in the next couple of games to slip on the NRR side of things. Consequently, they will have to fight it out against UP Warriorz in the Eliminator, on Friday (March 24), for a date with Meg Lanning's Delhi Capitals in the inaugural WPL 2023 finale.

MI almost had their foot in the final at the time of qualification but had their only apparent weakness exposed over two successive games - the lack of runs from the lower middle-order. Not that they can be faulted. MI's top-four - openers Hayley Matthews and Yastika Bhatia, and captain and vice-captain duo of Harmanpreet and Nat Sciver-Brunt - had been in the middle of such incredible run with the bat that the middle-order allrounders were hardly ever tested in those five wins at the top. But when the top-four caved in the next two games, the lack of game time for them meant the Indians couldn't recover to post defendable totals, asked to bat first both times. To that effect, their last league game brought positive signs with vital contributions coming from the bats of Melie Kerr and Pooja Vastrakar just in time for the knockouts, with Issy Wong also chipping in two handy knocks.

"Leave it to us to entertain," said Alyssa Healy in one of her post match interviews. And boy, have UPW been the real entertainers of the season or what. We're not just talking burgers and The Pony Hole here. They were the first to produce an edge-of-the-seat thriller, in their tournament opener against Gujarat Giants. They were the ones to show the competition that MI aren't the invincibles - a fact that Capitals capitalised on later, for a direct ticket to the final. And then they also hold the dubious distinction of being at the receiving end when Royal Challengers Bangalore finally managed to post a win on the board at last.

Conversely for the Warriorz though, the middle-order has done the heavy lifting. Tahlia McGrath (295 runs) is only 15 short of taking the Orange cap from her Australia captain, even if temporarily, and Grace Harris has never made less than 39 in the four out of five innings that she walked out to the middle. She was in fact the common denominator with the bat in their double over Gujarat Giants. Add to that skipper Healy's tally of 242 runs that has ensured runs at least from one end at the top. But a cause of concern, and part of the reason why their campaign has ebbed and flowed like it has, is the lack of match-winning contributions from the Indian players.

Bowling wise, MI have been on top of things. Three of their spinners - Kerr (13 wickets, 2nd), Saika Ishaque (13, 3rd) and Matthews (12 wickets, 4th) - are giving Warriorz's Sophie Ecclestone (14 wickets) a tough fight for the tournament Purple Cap. The tiring pitches of the two venues brought bowlers back into the competition towards the business end of the competition, and none have left a better mark since than the Warriorz famed spin troika of Ecclestone, Deepti Sharma and Rajeshwari Gayakwad. Add to it the backing 16-year-old leggie Parshavi Chopra has received from the Healy-led team management, which has made their bowling attack one to be wary of.

MI-W vs UP-W: Weather Forecast and Pitch Report of DY Patil Stadium– Eliminator, WPL 2023

The MI-W vs UP-W Eliminator contest starts from 7.30 pm IST on Friday, March 24. The temperature in the evening will be around 27 degrees with clear skies There is no chance of rain but humidity will be close to 70 percent. 

Talking about the playing conditions, both the venues in Brabourne and DY Patil have started turning more in the second half of the tournaments. Scores of around 200 are nowhere to be seen and a score of around 160-170 will be a challenging total. Both teams have good spinners and it is spin that will decide the contest. Dew is expected to play a significant role as well.

Team News

Mumbai Indians

MI identified a strong XI, with a good mix of experienced and uncapped players, and have run with it for the better part of the competition unless faced with Pooja Vastrakar's injury. A case could be made for the inclusion of Chloe Tryon, who provides an extra left-arm spin option for the conditions, and lengthens the batting order a bit as well, but expect MI to back their winning side.

Probable XI: Hayley Matthews, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Melie Kerr, Issy Wong/Chloe Tryon, Amanjot Kaur, Pooja Vastrakar, Humaira Kazi, Jintimani Kalita, Saika Ishaque

UP Warriorz

Out of the race for a direct entry into the finale, Warriorz handed game time to some uncapped India players while also bringing back Shabnim Ismail for their last league game. However, for the knockouts, expect them to field a full-strength XI with Devika Vaidya and Grace Harris both making a return.

Probable XI: Devika Vaidya, Alyssa Healy (C & wk), Kiran Navgire, Tahlia McGrath, Grace Harris, Deepti Sharma, Sophie Ecclestone, Simran Shaikh, Parshavi Chopra, Anjali Sarvani, Rajeshwari Gayakwad

In the spotlight: Saika Ishaque and Sophie Ecclestone

In the first four games of the WPL, left-arm spinner Saika Ishaque picked up 12 wickets at an economy rate of 5.85. This was at a time when the scores were high and the overall economy rate of all bowlers were 8.44. However, Ishaque has been wicketless in three of her last four outings while going at an economy rate of 7.78. The overall economy rate of the bowlers in this period (after March 14) was 7.60. A key cog in the Mumbai bowling line-up, all eyes will be on Ishaque in the Eliminator.

Sophie Ecclestone has been a consistent performer in the WPL, picking up wickets in each of her outings. Her economy rate of 6.22 is the best among bowlers with ten or more wickets in the competition. She has also shown glimpses of her ability with the bat under pressure. Expect the England spinner to step up on the big occasion.

Stats and trivia

• The highest and the lowest team totals at the DY Patil Stadium in the WPL have come from Mumbai Indians - 207 for 5 in the opener and 127 against UP Warriorz.
• Three players from Mumbai and only one from Warriorz (Ecclestone) have taken more than 11 wickets

Thank you Raji for the thread and for tagging me. 🤗  

In a way, it will be a precursor prior to the grand finale. 😊 

My best wishes to both the teams, but my  team is Mumbai Indians. ⭐️

This game is essentially McGrath/Harris and to a lesser extent, Healy, versus Mumbai Indians.

If one of these three fire, UPW could go to the final, but MI are favourites otherwise.

UPW's Indian contingent has been very disappointing so far- they've mostly been carried by their foreign players.

MIW are also dependent on their foreign players, but the likes of Yastika and Harmanpreet have contributed, unlike UPW where Devika/Deepti have underperformed so far.

Warriorz lost their last league outing but they were without Grace Harris, who was out because they didn't want to risk a minor injury she had. She should probably return in the XI in place of Shabnim Ismail and Warriorz would look to challenge Mumbai's middle-order might, as I note in the match preview. Our video crew comprising Raunak Kapoor, Yash Jha and Sruthi Ravindranath debate whether it will be Lanning vs Healy or Lanning vs Harmanpreet on Sunday. WATCH and enjoy their take!

For the UP Warriors, their international stars have had standout campaigns. The batting has been carried by Tahlia McGrath, Grace Harris, and Alyssa Healy to an extent, while Sophie Ecclestone has gone on to show why she's one of the best bowlers in the world. But they've mostly been lacking in significant contributions from the Indian players. There have been sparks though. Devika Vaidya's poor run at the top of the order led to a change in their final league game, with 19-year-old Shweta Sehrawat showing some promise in her 12-ball 19. There's also the 16-year old legspinner Parshavi Chopra who's made an impression in the three opportunities she's got. What a stage this is to come good and make a name.

UP Warriorz, on the other hand, did the seemingly tough job of halting Mumbai's juggernaut. Yes they relied quite a bit on the middle-order duo of Tahlia McGrath and Grace Harris. But what impressed me the most about them - and captain Alyssa Healy has been vocal about it - is them backing the unheralded Indian players. Simran Shaikh has played all the games, Parshavi Chopra, Shweta Sehrawat, S Yashasri have all gotten game time. Do they have enough to win a 'pressure game' in this Eliminator?