WPL 2023: Playoffs Preview

WPL 2023: Playoffs Preview

With just over two weeks of exciting cricket behind us, we’re into the inaugural Women’s Premier League (WPL) playoffs. It’s a brief, two-match affair beginning with Friday’s Eliminator at the DY Patil Sports Academy and ending with Sunday’s final at the Brabourne Stadium.

The former is set to be contested by runners-up Mumbai Indians and third-placed UP Warriorz. The winner advances to the final, where table-toppers Delhi Capitals await.

It eventually came down to run rate and here they benefited enormously from their approach in the league phase.

Ahead of the WPL playoffs, we review each playoff team’s season and their path to becoming the first-ever WPL champions from here.

Delhi Capitals

The story of the inaugural WPL season is in many ways the story of Delhi Capitals v Mumbai Indians.

The pair are the WPL’s best sides – 1st and 2nd in the table, separated only by run rate – but their journey to the WPL playoffs was very different.

Mumbai began the competition with five consecutive victories; at no point did Delhi string together more than two wins in a row. Mumbai began the WPL 5-0 but finished it 1-2; Delhi were 3-1 in both halves of the league phase.

Mumbai’s highs were higher, but Delhi’s consistency and style of play won out in the end. Despite losing their first head to head encounter, the side from the capital (or perhaps capitals) kept pace with Mumbai throughout.

It eventually came down to run rate and here they benefited enormously from their approach in the league phase.

Her overs give Delhi unparalleled tactical flexibility but it’s her batting that’s truly exciting.

How Delhi finished top

As a team, Delhi specialised in blistering chases.

In pursuit of 105 against Gujarat Giants, they cantered to a win by 10 wickets in 7.1 overs. Nine days later, they kept Mumbai to 109 and blasted their way to a 9-wicket win in 9 overs.

Delhi’s aggressive approach up top yielded brutally efficient wins and vital run rate boosts. Considering one of those wins was against a direct rival for top spot in Mumbai, their proactive style was central to securing first place and thus a direct path to the final.

At the heart of Delhi’s flair is a brilliant opening partnership. Recent T20 World Cup winning captain Meg Lanning led her charges superbly and currently holds the Orange Cap for most runs with 310 – a hugely successful season so far with the bat and as skipper.

After starting with five straight wins, a late season wobble loosened the Mumbai Indians’ grip on top spot.

Her partner Shafali Verma has been scratchy for India in 2023, averaging 20 and striking at 108 in her five international innings this year, but at her explosive best for Delhi – a terrifying strike rate of 182 in the WPL is far and away the best in the competition.

The engine room

Equally important are the all-rounders Marizanne Kapp and Jess Jonassen. Kapp has brought her superb batting form to the WPL and her numbers with the ball are even better.

An economy rate of 5.75 is the best in the WPL for bowlers with a minimum of 5 overs bowled. Kapp also leads the way for dot balls with 109 – the only bowler to breach the three-figure mark.

Proportionally, dot balls account for an impressive 56.77% of her total deliveries.

Meanwhile, Jonassen has stepped up with match-winning displays at crucial times with both bat and ball, memorably returning 42* (20) and 3-43 against UP Warriorz.

The incendiary Alice Capsey completes a formidable trio of all-rounders. As a third bowling option in the top six, her overs give Delhi unparalleled tactical flexibility but it’s her batting that’s truly exciting.

Between them, Verma (12) and Capsey (10) have belted 22 sixes in the WPL. 

Recently restored to the Indian side, Shikha Pandey has the most wickets for Delhi with 10. Left arm seamer Tara Norris was a savvy bit of recruitment and took the first ever WPL five-for against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

How did they go against the other WPL playoff teams?

Delhi were 1-1 against Mumbai in the league phase. The two games were similar – Delhi and Mumbai respectively put on scores of 105 and 109 before these paltry totals were swept aside by the chasing team.

Mumbai have every chance if they make it to Sunday’s final but the Eliminator against UP will be tricky.

It’s worth noting, though, that these matches were held at Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Sports Academy. Should Mumbai reach the final, the two will square off at Brabourne Stadium – the conditions for a possible third encounter will be completely different.

Against UP Warriorz, Delhi went 2-0, winning once each batting first and chasing. In particular, Capsey, Lanning, and Jonassen put on fine displays both times.

A Delhi v Mumbai final will be more exciting for the neutral given the unpredictability. On past form, though, the Capitals will fancy a crack at the Warriorz.

Mumbai Indians

After starting with five straight wins, a late season wobble loosened the Mumbai Indians’ grip on top spot and thus an automatic place in the final.

They lost two of their last three games, falling to fellow WPL playoff qualifiers Delhi and UP. Slipping to second, Mumbai now face the latter in Friday’s Eliminator for a place in the final.

UP supply three of the top ten scorers in the WPL. No other team has more than two. They have the firepower to go toe to toe with anyone.

They’ll look to Hayley Matthews for a spark. Last month, we picked Matthews the bowler as West Indies’ player to watch at the Women’s T20 World Cup.

So far, 12 wickets and 4th place in the Purple Cap standings suggest she’s sustained that bowling form but Matthews is also Mumbai’s top scorer with 232 runs.

Captain Harmanpreet Kaur is immediately behind on 230 runs striking at 149. But the Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings reveal where Mumbai’s strengths lie.

They supply just two of the top ten scorers in the WPL – Matthews and Harman – but three of the top four wicket takers (and four of the top ten, with Issy Wong in 11th with 8 scalps).

Matthews is joined in that top four by left arm spinner Saika Ishaque – with 13 wickets, the standout uncapped Indian in WPL 2023 – and all-rounder Amelia Kerr (also 13).

An off-spinner, a left arm spinner, a leg spinner – Mumbai have impressive variety. They also have the tools for an effective spin choke heading into the WPL playoffs.

How did they go against the other WPL playoff teams?

Mumbai were 1-1 against both Delhi and UP in the league phase. They’re also 3-2 at DY Patil and 3-0 at Brabourne Stadium – Mumbai have every chance if they make it to Sunday’s final but the Eliminator against UP will be tricky.

Doubly so if inserted on Friday. Mumbai have a perfect record chasing but are 2-2 batting first. One of those two defeats was to the Warriorz at DY Patil on 18 March.

They’ll want to avoid a repeat first before thinking of the final.

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UP Warriorz

They went 4-4 in the league phase, finishing four points behind Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians in the top two.

They struggled for consistency, winning consecutive games just once in the league phase. But UP Warriorz boast some of the best players in the WPL.

The world’s #1 bowler Sophie Ecclestone leads the race for the Purple Cap with 14 wickets. She’s also stepped up with the bat at critical moments, notably against Gujarat Giants to confirm UP’s place in the WPL playoffs.

Most impressively, UP supply three of the top ten scorers in the WPL – Tahlia McGrath (295 runs), Alyssa Healy (242), and Grace Harris (216).

No other team has more than two in the top ten. The Warriorz have the firepower to go toe to toe with anyone.

The world’s #1 T20I batter McGrath has a remarkable 4 fifties this season.

It’s a toss up between McGrath and Harris for UP’s most important stick. The latter is Australia’s best boundary hitter since her international return in January last year and a strike rate of 170 in the WPL signals an overdrive gear matched by very few.

UP’s domestic spinners have been reasonably incisive but have at times struggled to keep the runs down.

Deepti Sharma (9 wickets/8.75 economy) is second for wickets at the Warriorz after Ecclestone, followed by Rajeshwari Gayakwad (7/8.07).

How did they go against the other WPL playoff teams?

They were winless against Delhi and 1-1 against Mumbai in the league phase. But the Warriorz can be confident in the Eliminator at DY Patil.

Not only did they beat Mumbai at this ground earlier in the season, their left arm spinners got some joy in both league games against Friday’s opponents.

Across two WPL games so far against Mumbai, Ecclestone and Gayakwad have 7 wickets (out of 12) at 13 and an economy of 5.87.

The array of Mumbai right handers v the UP left arm spinners is the key battle of the Eliminator. The outcome could decide who advances to the final.

The world’s #1 T20I batter McGrath has a remarkable fifties this season, including one against Mumbai and two against Delhi.

Her only two failures this season came when early movement threatened her outside edge – caught at slip for zero v Gujarat and caught behind for 2 v Bangalore.

If Mumbai can successfully force a repeat of that scenario, things could quickly go sour for the Warriorz.

 

Header Image: Jeeteshvaishya/CC BY-SA 4.0/via Wikimedia Commons/https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode

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