Rejuvenated UP Warriorz face upbeat MI in WPL

Bengaluru, Feb 25 (PTI) Rejuvenated by their thrilling super-over win over RCB, UP Warriorz will look to continue their momentum when they take on an upbeat Mumbai Indians in the Women’s Premier League here on Wednesday.

The Warriorz pulled off a stunning victory against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Monday, with Sophie Ecclestone delivering a match-winning performance with both bat and ball.

However, they will need more from their batters to avoid finding themselves in a tight spot once again.

While Chinelle Henry led them to victory against Delhi Capitals, Ecclestone took center stage in their latest triumph. Though openers Kiran Navgire and Shweta Sehrawat have shown promise, they have not been able to capitalise on their starts.

Opener Vrinda Dinesh and skipper Deepti Sharma will have to give stability in the middle-order.

Despite a rocky start to the season, the Warriorz have bounced back from consecutive losses, registering two remarkable wins. However, their batting – especially the openers and middle-order – has struggled to maintain consistency.

Australian all-rounder Tahlia McGrath is another match-winner in the Warriorz lineup, with her explosive power-hitting.

But she is yet to light up the tournament and against MI, the Warriorz will need McGrath to fire along with the rest of the batting unit to avoid falling into a vulnerable position once again.

“We are backing our young Indian players to step up and perform under pressure. We want to provide them with opportunities,” said Jon Lewis, the Warriorz head coach, on Monday.

On the middle-order batting, Lewis added: “It would be nice to get a few more runs, rotate the strike better, and be more consistent. If we can do that, we will be competitive across all conditions and against every team.”

For Mumbai Indians, Nat Sciver-Brunt has been the standout performer. The inaugural edition champions are a formidable side, with India captain Harmanpreet Kaur also in fine form, having scored a fifty in their last match against RCB.

Mumbai’s batting is a force to be reckoned with, with destructive batters like Hayley Matthews and Amelia Kerr in their ranks but both haven’t really fired so far. Opener Yastika Bhatia too is in need of a substantial score.

They also have a rising star in 16-year-old G Kamalini, who brings balance to the team, while Amanjot Kaur’s all-round performance that sealed their win against RCB is a good sign for MI.

Their bowling attack is spearheaded by the exceptional Shabnim Ismail and Sciver-Brunt, who are capable of dismantling any batting lineup.

Teams (From): Mumbai Indians: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Nadine de Klerk, Sanskriti Gupta, Saika Ishaque, Shabnim Ismail, Jintimani Kalita, G Kamalini, Amandeep Kaur, Amanjot Kaur, Sathyamoorthy Keerthana, Amelia Kerr, Akshita Maheshwari, Hayley Matthews, Sajeevan Sajana, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Parunika Sisodia, Chloe Tryon.

UP Warriorz: Deepti Sharma (c), Anjali Sarvani, Chamari Athapaththu, Uma Chetry, Sophie Ecclestone, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Arushi Goel, Kranti Goud, Grace Harris, Chinelle Henry, Poonam Khemnar, Alana King, Tahlia McGrath, Kiran Navgire, Shweta Sehrawat, Gouher Sultana, Saima Thakor, Vrinda Dinesh.