Women’s Premier League (WPL) will be played from March 4, 2023, to March 26, 2023, in Mumbai. During the period of 23 days, five teams will lock horns with one another to clinch the title. In the recently concluded WPL Player Auction, the franchises invested big money in some players to show their strength in the upcoming tournament. We’ll look at the strongest playing XI of the MI in the WPL 2023.
Yastika Bhatia
Yastika Bhatiawill be an important part of Mumbai Indians’ WPL campaign next month. In the team, she could be given the role of an opener to deliver ferocious starts with her batting talent. The 22-year-old was sold to MI at a humongous sum of INR 1.5 crore. To avail her services in the much-awaited tournament, Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz (UPW) had also shown their interest. However, it was MI who picked her for the said amount.
In 2022, she played for Velocity in the 2022 season of the Women’s T20 Challenge and accumulated 49 runs in three matches at a strike rate of 132.43. This year, she will look to do better in the WPL and help her team to lift the trophy on March 26, 2023, at Brabourne Stadium. In the competition, Bhatia will be required a batter who could support her to form a formidable opening pair.
Hayley Matthews
Going through the MI squad for the upcoming season, it could be said that the West Indies all-rounder Hayley Matthews could be an ideal candidate for that. In her nine years of WT20I career, the veteran has accumulated 1,493 runs with a century in 79 matches. For MI, the veteran’s role will be crucial to pull off the title in their debut season. The Caribbean player became a part of MI’s campaign in the auction at her base price of INR 40 lakh.
Natalie Sciver
MI’s biggest buy in the 2023 WPL auction was the English all-rounder Natalie Sciver, who got picked by the franchise at a price of INR 3.2 crore. After bagging the heavy amount, she also became the second most expensive player at the event, along with the Australia all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner.
In the inaugural edition of the tournament, Sciver will have to justify her amount. In WT20Is, she is one of the most successful all-rounders. The veteran currently stands in the sixth position on the list of ICC rankings for all-rounders. Talking about her WT20I numbers, she has racked up 2,004 runs in 105 matches at a strike rate of 112.64.
Amelia Kerr
will be an important member of MI for the maiden WPL edition. The team will rely on her all-round skills to fare well in the competition. In the WPL Player Auction, she got sold to MI at INR 1 crore. Earlier, the New Zealand player registered her name at the event with a base price of INR 40 lakh. However, after launching a bidding competition between MI and RCB, she succeeded in getting a decent deal.
Harmanpreet Kaur
In the auction, MI also signed India Women’s skipper Harmanpreet Kaur at INR 1.8 crore. The franchise got her for the inaugural season after winning a sensational bidding contest from Delhi Capitals (DC), Royal Challengers Bangalore, and UP Warriorz (UPW). The veteran could be assigned the task to captain the team in the competition due to her fabulous record as the national team’s skipper.
Besides captaincy, she will be a premier player for the team due to her batting. The 33-year-old has amassed 2,956 runs for the national team with a century and nine fifties in 132 innings of 147 WT20I contests.
Amanjot Kaur
This year, Amanjot Kaurmade her debut for India Women after showcasing her class in domestic cricket for years. She also became the leading run-getter for her domestic team in Chandigarh in the Women’s Senior One-Day Trophy 2020-21. With her batting talent, she piled up 263 runs with a ton and two half-centuries in five games.
Playing for the national side in a couple of WT20I matches, Kaur displayed her fierce batting skills scoring 41 runs in an innings at a phenomenal strike rate of 136.66. At the Player Auction of WPL, she participated with her base price of INR 30 lakh. However, recognising her power-hitting ability, MI invested INR 50 lakhs in her after beating Delhi Capitals (DC) in a bidding war.
Priyanka Bala
Along with Kaur, Priyanka Bala will also play a vital role in reinforcing the MI’s batting line-up. The 27-year-old Bala bagged her WPL contract from MI as the franchise signed her for her base price of INR 20 lakh. She played her last domestic game back in 2021 and couldn’t do wonders with her bat. However, in the first WPL season, there will be an opportunity for her as she could lift her career by delivering solid batting numbers to MI.
Sonam Yadav
15-year-old Sonam Yadav became the youngest cricketer to be sold in the WPL auction. The talented left-arm spinner went to Mumbai Indians for her base amount of INR 10 lakh. Recently, she featured in the ICC Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup for India and contributed to the team’s title victory taking five wickets in six matches.
Pooja Vastrakar
Pooja Vastrakar is a key member of the current India Women’s squad. With her medium-pace bowling, she has won a lot of games for her national team in her five years of WT20I career. The 23-year-old has featured in 44 WT20Is so far and has bagged 29 scalps at an economy of 6.07.
Considering these WT20I bowling numbers, MI roped her into their team for INR 1.9 crore. The franchise also engaged in a bidding battle with Delhi Capitals (DC) to include her in the team for the next month’s tournament. Going through her impressive bowling figures, the young bowler might be seen spearheading the MI’s bowling unit with her calibre and experience.
Issy Wong
England’s Issy Wong will feature for Mumbai Indians (MI) as the franchise picked her in the auction at INR 30 lakh. The 20-year-old has played nine WT20Is for her national side and claimed seven wickets at an economy of 6.25. Within the last two years, she has featured in a couple of seasons for Birmingham Phoenix Women.
So far, the right-arm pacer has taken eight wickets in 14 matches of the domestic English competition. In the WPL, she will count on her skills and experience to deliver a solid show for Mumbai Indians. For her franchise, the youngster will strive to contribute with her bat as well down the lower order.
Saika Ishaque
In the accelerated round of the auction, MI also bought Saika Ishaque at INR 10 lakh. The slow left-arm spinner has played a lot of cricket in India’s domestic circuit. In 2022, she appeared for India A in the Senior Women’s T20 Challenger Trophy 2022-23 and fetched three wickets in two games at an economy of 4.75. With her domestic experience, she could emerge as a prime bowler for the franchise in the tournament.