WPL 2023: MI-W vs UP-W 15th Match - Predicted UP Warriorz Playing XI vs Mumbai Indians Women

After sustaining two back-to-back losses, UP Warriorz are currently in a fix, especially with Gujarat Giants rising up to chase them for a spot in the playoffs. In order to stay alive in the competition, the Alyssa Healy-led side needs to step up, take some bold decisions and get back to winning ways. However, it is not going to be an easy task in their next match against Mumbai Indians as they are still undefeated and are at the top of the points table.

When these two sides last met, the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side registered an easy victory as UP’s bowling attack failed to pose any threat to the in-form Mumbai batters. Bowling has been one of UP’s biggest concerns in the ongoing Women’s Premier League (WPL) and adding up to the worries is their perplexion regarding setting up a balanced playing 11. The team could often be seen shuffling between Grace Harris and Shabnim Ismail, in an attempt to find the perfect playing combination. 

UP's batting is not sorted either as most of the middle-order batters have failed to make a mark so far, including all-rounder Deepti Sharma, who was bought by the franchise for a whopping 2.6 crore at the auction. Ahead of their big game against MI, it would be interesting to see what combination they come up with in their playing XI.

Here’s UP Warriorz’ predicted XI for the match against Mumbai Indians:

Openers - Alyssa Healy (c & wk), Devika Vaidya

Skipper Alyssa Healy started the season well but has been very inconsistent in recent times. She has the ability to give UP a flying start but that hasn’t been the case in the last few matches. Overall, the Australia international has scored 186 runs from five matches so far and currently sits in the fourth position in the list of leading run-scorers of the tournament. However, there still lies a lot of room for improvement for Healy.

When it comes to Devika, her main responsibility is to support Healy as Shweta Sehrawat failed to do so in the initial games. Devika has done reasonably well so far but she has the calibre to perform better. Against Mumbai Indians, it is not going to be an easy task for UP and thus, the openers need to take more responsibility in the middle and look to give UP a good start.

Middle Order - Kiran Navgire, Simran Sheikh, Shweta Sehrawat

Except for her brilliant performance in the first match of the tournament against Gujarat Giants, Kiran Navgire has failed to live up to the expectations, scoring only 94 runs in five matches. Given her experience, she was expected to help UP sort their batting but that hasn’t been the case yet. However, the 28-year-old has the ability to bounce back but it needs to be quick as UP are currently fighting for a spot in the playoffs.

The duo of Simran Sheikh and Shweta Sehrawat have failed miserably in the competition so far. Despite being so, skipper Alyssa Healy has consistently backed them as she wants the youngsters to learn and grow more in this tournament. However, they haven’t shown much of their abilities so far and that is another reason why the team has failed to establish their authority in the middle and death overs.

All-rounders - Tahlia McGrath, Deepti Sharma, Grace Harris

All-rounder Tahlia McGrath has been a decent performer for UP in the ongoing season. The Aussie international has scored 142 runs in five matches and has also picked up two wickets. She has been in good touch of late and has emerged as one of the most dependable cricketers in the UP squad alongside the likes of Alyssa Healy.

Deepti Sharma, on the other hand, has done well with the ball in the last few matches. Her batting, however, needs to improve massively in order to back Tahlia who has so far been the only one to do well in the middle order. Notably, Sharma has picked up seven wickets in five matches so far and has scored 52 runs in the process.

In the first five matches, UP changed Grace Harris for Shabnim Ismail in every alternate game. However, the same tactic might stop this time around as Grace played brilliantly in the last match, scoring 46 off 32 deliveries. She was the leading run-scorer for UP against RCB and that should be good enough for her to get retained in the playing XI.

Bowlers - Sophie Ecclestone, Anjali Sarvani, Rajeshwari Gayakwad

Youngster Sophie Ecclestone has been very consistent throughout the course of the season. The 23-year-old has so far picked up nine wickets from five matches and with that, she currently is the third-leading wicket-taker of the tournament. Even though the pitches in Mumbai have very little for spinners, Ecclestone has managed to shine with the ball and will be a crucial member of the side going into the business end of the tournament.

Coming to the Indian duo of Anjali Sarvani and Rajeshwari Gayakwad, they haven't been of much help so far. UP's spin department is one such area that the franchise would look to improve immediately. Overall, the pair has taken only four wickets so far and that is a big reason to worry about at the moment.

UP Warriorz playing XI: Alyssa Healy (wk/c), Devika Vaidya, Kiran Navgire, Tahlia McGrath, Deepti Sharma, Grace Harris, Simran Shaikh, Shweta Sehrawat, Sophie Ecclestone, Anjali Sarvani, Rajeshwari Gayakwad

For a better experience: Download the CricTracker app from the IOS App Store and Google Play Store