WPL will be held this month in Mumbai across two venues -- DY Patil Stadium and Brabourne Stadium.
India's T20I captain Harmanpreet Kaur vowed to go all out against Australia in the three-match series, starting Thursday, saying the team needs to win it at all cost.
Life on the cricket pitch has not been a simple script for Deepti, who's had to crush a few past demons before gaining redemption in Navi Mumbai on Sunday night.
This is India's 2nd win in as many games.
The inaugural edition's winner Mumbai Indians will bank on their core group of players while two-time finalists Delhi Capitals will expect fireworks from Shafali Verma when they face-off in the second game of the Women's Premier League here on Saturday. The finalists of the first WPL in 2023, both Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals made it to the knockouts in the second edition last year but lost to the eventual champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the eliminator and the final respectively. Those defeats were certainly not reflective of how well MI and DC had fared until the knockouts stage, with Harmanpreet Kaur's side finishing second in the points table with five wins in eight matches and Meg Lanning's team topping it with six wins in as many outings. The winners of WPL 2023, Mumbai Indians tend to lean on their core group of players both overseas and Indian and a similar approach can be expected this year, with only a few changes taking place in terms of squad composition. India pacer Pooja Vastrakar, who was grappling with an unspecified injury, was ruled out of the competition and has been replaced by slow left-arm orthodox bowler Parunika Sisodia, who was one of the main performers in India's title-winning campaign in the U-19 Women's T20 World Cup recently. Mumbai Indians have let go of England's Issy Wong, who took the first-ever WPL hat-trick in 2023, after the player lost form and the franchise found the leader of their attack in South Africa's Shabnim Ismail. Among domestic talents, another member of the U-19 T20 World Cup winning squad G Kamalini would be one to watch out for, having finished as the third highest scorer in the competition with 143 runs in seven matches. Apart from a strong leader in Harmanpreet, MI have strong figures from other international sides such as Nat Sciver-Brunt (England), Hayley Matthews (West Indies), Amelia Kerr (New Zealand), as well as South Africans Nadine de Klerk, Shabnim Ismail and Chloe Tryon. While Yastika Bhatia is MI's No 1 wicketkeeper-batter, other Indian players in Saika Ishaque, Sajana Sajeevan, uncapped Akshita Maheshwari and Amanjot Kaur will be expected to play their roles to perfection. On their part, Delhi Capitals will be keen to do one better after finishing as runner-up for two times in a row ever since the competition began. One of the most consistent teams in the competition, the Lanning-led Delhi have strong talent base across departments but the key will be to deliver in crucial matches. All eyes will be on the explosive Indian batter Shafali who has responded to her exclusion from the Indian side with runs in domestic cricket. She forms a lethal opening pair with Lanning at the top, while the likes of Australia's Annabel Sutherland, England's Alice Capsey and India's Jemimah Rodrigues form the core of their middle order. All-rounder Sutherland will hope to draw inspiration from her recent success of having struck 163 in the only Test of the women's Ashes followed by winning the highest individual honour in Australian cricket. While Delhi boasts of three wicketkeeper-batters in India's Taniyaa Bhatia, Nandini Kashyap and Scotland's Sarah Bryce, their bowling looks settled with Marizanne Kapp as the leader of the attack, backed by Australia's Jess Jonassen, India's Radha Yadav and Shikha Pandey as well as Titas Sadhu.
Earlier, after incessant rain interrupted the exciting contest, South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt won the toss and opted to field against the hosts India.
"Jemmi (Jemimah Rodrigues) has shown talent at international level. Our fielding, in which over the last two three years we were lacking, has improved and that was the biggest take-away from the tour," she added.
Harmanpreet, Mandhana, Jemimah hold key to India's T20 World Cup campaign
'Fitness and fielding are two things I want my team to improve'
Team has shown a lot of character, and we are facing Australia with a positive mindset: Sneh Rana
Indian batswoman Harmanpreet Kaur escaped with a fine but was reprimanded for showing dissent at the umpire's decision on the first day of the first Test against England women cricket team on Tuesday.
Amanjot Kaur's superb all-round showing steered Mumbai Indians to a thrilling four-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Harmanpreet has made only two 50 plus scores since the 2017 World Cup in England where India reached the final.
Renuka Singh and Richa Ghosh were left out, while Shreyanka Patil was ignored as India named an 18-member Indian women's cricket team for the limited overs tour of Bangladesh.
India registered a dominant six-wicket win in the fourth T20I to seal their first-ever women's T20I series victory against England. With the win on Tuesday, the visitors have taken an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.
Reigning Women's Big Bash League champions Sydney Thunder today confirmed having interest in Harmanpreet Kaur but denied signing the India all-rounder, contrary to media reports.
Mandhana moves up to 6th, Harmapreet drops to 8th in ICC women's ODI rankings
Harmanpreet extends association with Sydney Thunder for BBL
India must quickly move on from Friday's shock defeat against New Zealand to revive their fortunes in the women's T20 World Cup, batter Jemimah Rodrigues said.
MI will aim to seal their direct qualification to the final by finishing at the top when they face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the final league match on Tuesday.
Harmanpreet Kaur brought more attention to women's cricket in India than ever before when she hit 171 not out to knock Australia out of ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2017. When she leads India onto the MCG on Sunday, she will become the first woman to ever captain India in a T20 World Cup final. It's not just her country's first appearance in the showpiece, but also one that could break history in setting a world record attendance for a women's sporting event.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur struck an unbeaten 42 following a fine bowling performance to set up India's thrilling five-wicket win over England in the first match of the women's triangular T20 International series, in Canberra, on Friday. Indian spinners -- Rajeshwari Gayakwad (2/19), Deepti Sharma (2/30)and left armer Radha Yadav (1/33) -- restricted England to 147 for seven in stipulated 20 overs, while right-arm medium pacer Shikha Pandey (2/33) accounted for two at the Manuka Oval.
'I think everyone's shot selections at that time... we could have done better with our shot selections.'
Harmanpreet Kaur, who guided India to the final of the ICC World Cup 2017, on Monday became the first woman cricketer from the country to sign a bat endorsement deal with CEAT.
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur on Sunday rued failing to capitalise on loose balls during her 63-run stand with Deepti Sharma for the fourth-wicket, as he side suffered a nine-run loss to Australia in a must-win women's T20 World Cup match in Dubai.
India women's T20 skipper Harmanpreet Kaur urged everyone to protect and preserve our 'mother earth'. Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Kiren Rijiju posted a video showcasing an aerial view of forests in Arunachal Pradesh.
Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma was crowned Player of the Tournament in India's maiden ICC Women's World Cup triumph, says she still cannot believe she bowled the title-winning delivery.
Amol Muzumdar never experienced the highs of an India cricketer but now he is a World Cup winning head coach -- only the third in the history of Indian cricket after Gary Kirsten and Rahul Dravid.
The Indian men's and women's cricket teams, led by captains Shubman Gill and Harmanpreet Kaur, met King Charles III, at St. James's Palace.
India will play three ODIs in New Zealand beginning January 24 as part of the ICC Women's Championship before playing three T20 Internationals.
Former wicketkeeper Saba Karim believes the recent Asia Cup row will have a cascading effect on India's ICC Women's World Cup match against Pakistan in Colombo, but said Harmanpreet Kaur's side will not be overly concerned about "outside noise" as the gulf between the two sides is too vast.
Smriti Mandhana's elegant maiden ton leads India to 97-run win over England in 1st T20I
After losing the three-match T20I series to Australia, India Women skipper Harmanpreet Kaur on Tuesday identified fielding as the area that needed urgent improvement.
India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana says the biggest change in the women's team since the last T20 World Cup is the belief that every player is a potential "match-winner" now, a shift driven by greater focus on fitness and preparation.
England beat India by eight wickets in rain-affected 2nd women''s ODI to level series 1-1
Shreyanka Patil, Mannat Kashyap, Saika Ishaque and Titas Sadhu were on Monday included for the first time in the Indian women's ODI squad for the upcoming limited overs assignment against Australia.
India eye maiden women's T20I series win over England; hosts to miss injured skipper Brunt
IMAGES from the WPL match played between Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Giants in Bengaluru on Sunday.
Star all-rounder Harmanpreet Singh was on Tuesday named captain of the Indian women's cricket team for the five-match T20 series against South Africa, starting February 13 in Potchefstroom.
Harmanpreet, Shafali move up to tied 11th, Mandhana maintains 5th position
