WPL 2025 | "It is an advantage for us because…": Harmapreet Kaur

One team will be playing their fourth match in six days. The other will be playing after an eight-day break. But, the Women’s Premier League (WPL) final here on Saturday will be nothing short of excitement. Mumbai Indians (MI), winners of the inaugural edition in 2023, will face the runners-up in each of the previous two seasons, Delhi Capitals (DC), in the title clash at the Brabourne Stadium.

Finishing No. 1 on the table gave DC a direct entry to the final whereas MI, who finished second, played the Eliminator against third-placed Gujarat Giants on Thursday, when MI advanced by virtue of their 47-run victory.

Meg Lanning

MI are favourites to win their second title as they not only have the top two wicket-takers in spinners Hayley Matthews (17) and Amelia Kerr (16), but also two of the top three run-getters this season — Natalie Sciver-Brunt (493) and Matthews (304). Besides, the two have been rock-solid in their partnerships at the top of the order, laying a solid base for a formidable total as was seen in the Eliminator.

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DC, led by the vastly experienced Australian Meg Lanning, will rely on spinning all-rounder Jess Jonassen and veteran medium-pacer Shikha Pandey to apply the brakes on MI. And, they will hope their vice-captain — local girl Jemimah Rodrigues — to come good after a rollicking start Shafali Verma is expected to provide. The two teams have met each other seven times. MI have won thrice, including the 2023 final and DC, four times, including the two league fixtures this year.

DC captain Lanning said on the eve of the final on Friday: “It`s really irrelevant what has happened in the past. Even what has happened in the round games this year, they don`t count for anything. It`s about performing on Saturday night and we are excited about the opportunity that we have given ourselves.”

About the lessons learnt from the previous two finals lost, the former Australian captain said: “Finals are about doing the basics really well and backing your strengths. We feel like we have got some really good depth within our side. We have got all bases covered. In terms of batting, getting off to a good start and building partnerships through the middle [is what we would like]. With the ball, we have got a number of options as well. So, that is really all we are focussed on, backing our strengths and really sticking to them for as long as we possibly can. Because, from my experience in finals, the team which does that is the team which is going to win.”

As regards the long break, Lanning said: “It is what it is. We had a busy period there towards the back end of the tournament. So, it has been nice to be able to refresh ourselves, sit back and see how the tournament played out. We are in a really nice position.”

Meanwhile, MI skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said: “It [playing three matches at Brabourne before final] is an advantage for us because we know the conditions really well, we know what areas to bowl, how to bat, which overs to execute in a better way and which overs to just take care of. Day by day, we have seen that improvement. So, I think it is good for us. We enjoyed all three matches, but tomorrow is an important match and everybody is looking forward to that.”