WPL 2023: Team-wise opening combination for 2nd edition

The Women’s Premier League (WPL) is expected to return with its second edition in February-March 2024. Witnessing last year’s action in the league, it can be said that all teams need to find perfect opening combinations to taste success in the 2024 installment. Mumbai Indians (MI) lifted the coveted trophy in the inaugural season and in this tremendous success, their openers Hayley Matthews and Yastika Bhatia played a vital role with their bats. Matthews hit 271 runs in 10 matches at a strike rate of 126.04 and ended up as the fifth-leading run-getter. Gujarat Giants (GG), who ended up at the bottom of the points table struggled to get a settled opening pair for the side which became one of the biggest causes of their failure in the season. Their opening batters Sophia Dunkley and Sabbhineni Meghana looked disastrous with their bats. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) ended up in the fourth spot at the end of the competition, winning only two out of the eight matches they featured in. In their disappointing campaign, their captain and opener Smriti Mandhana failed to support in-form Sophie Devine with the bat throughout the tournament. In the upcoming WPL season, all franchises will look to go with settled opening combinations to fare well. Discussing further, let’s have a look at the team-wise opening pairs of all five sides: 5. Up Warriorz- Alyssa Healy and Vrinda Dinesh Alyssa Healy & Vrinda Dinesh. (Photo Source: Twitter, Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images) Up Warriorz (UPW) captain Alyssa Healy looked superb as an opener in the previous competition. She smashed 253 runs in nine matches at a stunning strike rate of 141.34. With these numbers, she ended up as the second-leading run-getter for the team. In 2024, Warriorz will expect their skipper to continue her excellent work. Healy might be seen pairing up with the 22-year-old uncapped India player Dinesh Vrinda. Warriorz signed up Vrinda for a hefty amount of INR 1.3 crore in the WPL 2024 auction and her duty will be to support her skipper Healy and deliver fierce starts to the team consistently. Vrinda will carry domestic and India A experience with her in the upcoming competition. The youngster serves Karnataka Women in India’s domestic circle and back in 2021, she also grabbed the eyeballs for becoming the highest run-scorer for her team with 348 runs in six matches of the Women’s Senior One-Day Trophy. 4. Royal Challengers Bangalore- Smriti Mandhana and Sophie Devine Smriti Mandhana and Sophie Devine. (Photo Source: Twitter) Smriti Mandhana struggled to be among the runs in the previous WPL edition. The left-handed batter could score only 149 runs in eight matches at a strike rate of 111.19. In 2024, she will have to forget her previous failures and lead Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) from the front. As an opener, her responsibility will be to produce exceptional knock from her bat and set a fine example for her teammates. Mandhana did a decent job with her bat in 2023 in Women’s T20 Internationals (WT20Is). The southpaw accumulated 433 runs with three fifties in 18 matches. RCB supporters will keep their expectations high from her for the 2024 season. Sophie Devine exuded confidence with her bat in the RCB jersey and ended up as the best batter for the team. The New Zealand veteran racked up 266 runs in eight matches at a breathtaking strike rate of 172.72 and became the sixth-leading run-scorer in the tournament. In the upcoming competition, she will have to do wonders with her bat again. 3. Gujarat Giants- Beth Mooney and Laura Wolvaardt Beth Mooney and Laura Wolvaardt. (Photo Source: Twitter) Gujarat Giants (GG) missed their skipper and ferocious opener Beth Mooney in the last season. After Mooney’s exit from the tournament due to a hamstring injury, Dunkley and Meghana couldn’t justify their roles in the team. Laura Wolvaardt also played four matches as an opener and looked impressive with her bat. GG parted ways with Meghana and Dunkley before the 2024 auction and now they might assign Wolvaardt the task to open the innings with skipper Mooney in the second WPL edition. The South Africa opener looked extraordinary with her bat in the 2023-24 Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL). In Adelaide Strikers’ title victory, she chipped in with 402 runs in 15 games at a strike rate of 108.64. Mooney also performed brilliantly with her bat in the Australian league, notching up 557 runs in 15 contests at a strike rate of 143.18. Noting both openers’ performances, Gujarat supporters will be excited to witness them in the second WPL season. 2. Delhi Capitals- Meg Lanning and Shafali Verma Meg Lanning and Shafali Verma WPL. (Photo Source: Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images) Delhi Capitals (DC) ended their journey as runners-up in the maiden WPL installment. During the impressive campaign, their openers Meg Lanning and Shafali Varma played confidently and gave remarkable starts to the team. Lanning played nine matches in the competition and ended up as the leading run-scorer with 345 runs in nine matches at a strike rate of 139.11. Shafali Verma also showcased her batting mettle in the tournament. The youngster amassed 252 runs in nine matches at a stellar strike rate of 185.29. In the upcoming season, the duo will have to step up with their bats again. Lanning bid adieu to international cricket recently and following this move, she will look to play freely for Capitals in the upcoming second edition of the women's T20 mega event. Riding on Lanning’s vast experience and Shafali’s promising talent, DC will strive to clinch the trophy in the upcoming WPL season. 1. Mumbai Indians- Hayley Matthews and Yastika Bhatia Hayley Mathews and Yastika Bhatia. (Photo Source: Twitter) Hayley Matthews looked marvellous with both bat and ball for MI in 2023 and became the first Player of the Tournament in WPL. As an opener, she played some stellar match-winning knocks for the team. The Windies veteran received Yastika Bhatia’s support as well from the other end. In Mumbai Indians' scintillating trophy triumph, Bhatia contributed 214 runs in 10 matches at a strike rate of 112.04. Both openers will be crucial for MI to defend the title in 2024. Recently, Matthews couldn’t do big for Melbourne Renegades in the 2023-24 WBBL season but in the WPL 2024 tournament in India, the MI team management will expect their key stalwart to regain her form.

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WPL 2023: Team-wise opening combination for 2nd edition

In the upcoming WPL season, all franchises will look to go with settled opening combinations to fare well.

1. Mumbai Indians- Hayley Matthews and Yastika Bhatia

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