WPL 2023: Best starting playing XI of Mumbai Indians (MI) after auction

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. 

For the competition, Mumbai Indians (MI) acquired 17 players in the auction. Among them, some are also colossal figures in Women’s T20 Internationals (WT20Is) after showcasing their mettle for years. In the tournament, the MI management will expect these quality players to show up and help the team have a successful outing in the forthcoming maiden WPL edition.

However, to make the difficult task possible, these international players will also require the contribution of local players who've an immense experience in India's domestic cricket. With the amalgamation of both international and domestic talent, MI will look to form a solid starting XI that could instill fear among opponents with its superb displays.

On that note, here is the best Playing XI of Mumbai Indians for the maiden WPL season:

1. Yastika Bhatia & Hayley Matthews

Yastika Bhatia will 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.

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.