Will Unchanged UP Warriorz Choose to Bowl First Against Mumbai Indians?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- UP Warriorz have opted to bowl first after winning the toss.
- Mumbai Indians are the defending champions and have shown strong form.
- Meg Lanning is optimistic about her team's chances despite previous losses.
- Nat Sciver-Brunt returns to the Mumbai Indians lineup.
- The match is set to take place at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium.
Navi Mumbai, Jan 15 (NationPress) The UP Warriorz, unchanged from their previous match, have won the toss and opted to bowl first against the defending champions, Mumbai Indians, in the 2026 Women's Premier League (WPL) match at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Thursday.
After a narrow loss in their opening game, MI have regained momentum with consecutive victories. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur has been instrumental, scoring half-centuries in both matches.
In contrast, UP Warriorz remain without a win, having faced another narrow defeat against Delhi Capitals the previous evening. Following the toss, UPW captain Meg Lanning remarked, “Bowling first has proven advantageous in this tournament, allowing us to exert early pressure on Mumbai.”
“We believe that maintaining the same playing eleven gives us the best chance on this wicket under these conditions. Although we haven't quite found our rhythm yet, we have another opportunity tonight. There is immense talent in our squad. The challenge lies in uniting those strengths effectively,” she added.
“Tonight, we aim to improve our performance. We must go out, enjoy the game, and trust our skills. We've executed many things well, but we need to sustain it longer. Hopefully, tonight is our breakthrough,” Lanning expressed.
On the other hand, MI captain Harmanpreet Kaur announced that Nat Sciver-Brunt replaces a rested Hayley Matthews. “It’s a fantastic feeling to have her back. We hope to maintain our momentum, especially with her contributions in both batting and bowling,” she stated.
“Throughout the tournament, we've witnessed scores nearing 180 runs. The pitch we played on during our first match showed some movement, and we hope it plays better tonight to set a solid total,” Kaur concluded.
Playing XIs:
Mumbai Indians: Gunalan Kamalini (wk), Amelia Kerr, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amanjot Kaur, Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Nicola Carey, Sajeevan Sajana, Sanskriti Gupta, Poonam Khemnar, Shabnim Ismail, and Triveni Vasistha.
UP Warriorz: Kiran Navgire, Meg Lanning (captain), Phoebe Litchfield, Harleen Deol, Shweta Sehrawat (wk), Chloe Tryon, Deepti Sharma, Sophie Ecclestone, Asha Sobhana Joy, Shikha Pandey, and Kranti Gaud.