Delhi Capitals (DC) had arguably the best auction of all teams that will feature in the inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL). They purchased 18 players at the auction, and even after doing so, Delhi has left with Rs 35 lakh of their Rs 12 crore purse.
Indian batter Jemimah Rodrigues was Delhi’s most expensive purchase at Rs 2.2 crore. DC also picked up young opener Shafali Verma for Rs 2 crore. Among their other important India purchases, they bought pace bowler Shikha Pandey for Rs 60 lakh, left-arm spinner Radha Yadav for Rs 40 lakh, leg-spinner Poonam Yadav for Rs 30 lakh and keeper-batter Taniyaa Bhatia, also for Rs 30 lakh.
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Shifting the focus to their foreign purchases, Delhi went for seasoned South African all-rounder Marizanne Kapp for Rs 1.5 crore, England’s batting all-rounder Alice Capsey for Rs 75 lakh, and Australian left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen for Rs 50 lakh. As the Delhi Capitals (DC) prepare for their maiden Women’s Premier League (WPL) campaign, we predict the DC XI for WPL 2023.
DC Women strongest predicted 11
Openers: Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma
Delhi can open the batting with the Indian duo of Jemimah Rodrigues and Shafali Verma. Rodrigues had a brilliant T20 World Cup campaign for the Women in Blue, who again made the semis.
Middle-order and all-rounders: Meg Lanning (c), Marizanne Kapp, Laura Harris, Taniyaa Bhatia (wk), Shikha Pandey
Australia’s World Cup-winning captain Meg Lanning will lead the middle order as the 30-year-old is a legend of the women’s game, having smashed 3405 runs in 132 T20Is at an average of 36.61 and a strike rate of 116.37, with two hundred and 15 fifties.
The South African talented allrounder Marizanne Kapp has 1178 runs from 94 T20Is, with two half-centuries. With her medium pace, the 33-year-old has 76 wickets at an impressive average of under 20 and an economy rate of 5.54.
Australian batter Laura Harris can come in at No. 5 and take the attack to the opposition bowlers. The 30-year-old right-handed batter registered impressive returns in the Women’s National Cricket League, 2022-23. In 12 matches for Queensland Women, she smashed 411 runs at an average of 45.66 and an astonishing strike rate of 204.47.
Young Indian cricketer Taniya Bhatia can be the wicketkeeper-batter in DC’s starting XI. 25-year-old Bhatia has played 53 T20Is and scored 172 runs with a best of 46. She has also featured in 19 ODIs, playing some handy knocks.
Pace-bowling all-rounder Shikha Pandey can be a vital member of the Delhi team. In 62 T20Is, the bowler has picked up 43 wickets at an average of 26.16 and an economy rate of 6.49. She has also chipped in with other 200 runs with the bat
Bowlers: Poonam Yadav, Radha Yadav, Jess Jonassen, Tara Norris (associate player)
Poonam Yadav, Radha Yadav, and Jess Jonassen can offer good spin bowling options for DC in playing XI. Leg-spinner Poonam has claimed 98 scalps in 72 T20Is at an average of 15.25 and an excellent economy rate of 5.75.
Left-arm spinner Radha Yadav will add further depth to DC’s bowling. A T20I specialist, she has claimed 68 wickets at an average of 21.54 and an economy rate of 6.61 and has the crucial knack of picking up wickets at regular intervals.
Jess Jonassen is another left-arm spinner who can be key to Delhi’s fortunes in WPL 2023. The 30-year-old has played precisely 100 T20Is and has claimed 91 wickets at an average of 19.56 and a commendable economy rate of 5.62. Tara Norris was the only associate player picked at the WPL auction. According to the tournament rules, DC can use her as the fifth overseas player. 24-year-old Norris will provide a left-arm seam option to the franchise.