WPL: Warriorz clash with Giants; MI meets DC

Two of the busiest teams in the WPL mega auction, UP Warriorz and Gujarat Giants, will be eager to roll out their overhauled sides in their campaign opener at the D.Y. Patil Stadium here on Saturday.

Slotted in for the afternoon game, the first of two this season, the big-hitters on both sides will miss out on the venue’s generous dew, but have enough grit in the batting arsenal to post competitive totals.

The Meg Lanning-led Warriorz have one of the most diverse teams in skills and experience. Take the pairing of Shikha Pandey and Kranti Gaud in the pace pool, for instance. Should Deandra Dottin feature, the side has her wily medium pace to rely on in addition to the muscle she brings to the batting order.

A point of interest is the wicketkeeper’s slot. If Shweta Sehrawat’s pyrotechnics in the nets are anything to go by, and if the Warriorz have worked on her big-stage nerves, the side has quite the talent at its disposal.

Giants have Australians Beth Mooney and skipper Ashleigh Gardner as their fulcrum, with veteran White Fern Sophie Devine in the mix. There’s a lot of firepower, but they should guard against implosions.

Both sides will sweat over their overseas combinations with great options to choose from, and will hope the Indian core wean away from relying too much on the pros.

In the evening fixture, Mumbai Indians will play its second game on the trot, this time against the three-time runner-up Delhi Capitals. With a new captain in Jemimah Rodrigues, Capitals’ batting attack looks far more settled than its bowling slots. With Marizanne Kapp taking a sure slot, which foreign player sits out will be interesting.

Mumbai can take plenty of confidence from the audacity of young opener G. Kamalini, who bravely resisted Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s seam traps in the opening fixture. But her partner, Amelia Kerr, looked far from comfortable. The defending champion needs to shake off the ring rust to keep itself comfortable in the tournament.