Who’s playing
Mumbai Indians (MI) vs Delhi Capitals (DC)
Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, March 15, 2025
What to expect: Two powerful line-ups
Is it 2023 again? MI and DC, two consistently good teams with all-star line-ups, meet again in the WPL final. While DC have breezed into the final this season, MI are coming in battle-hardened, having had to take the circuitous route by playing three matches in four days to get there.
DC have been strong in most departments, and have got their selection calls right throughout the season. Their captain Meg Lanning hit form late in the tournament, Shafali Verma has continued to churn out the runs at the top of the other, and the move to promote Jess Jonassen to No. 3 has paid off. But for DC to look more threatening, they’d want their middle order to step up further. Their middle order (Nos. 4 to 7) collectively averages 17.50, the lowest this season, and have struck at 116.66, which is the second-lowest among all teams.
MI’s line-up also drips with power and strength. Powerplay bowling has been one of DC’s strongest suits, but only MI have bettered that. DC’s bowlers have taken 50 wickets at 23.84 in this phase, while MI have 61 wickets at 22.68.
But MI will be playing at their home ground – a venue where they’ve lost just once in seven games – and that tilts the scales in their favour. DC, though, have had a good seven days break, and will be coming in without the pressure of having had to scramble for a place in the final. Two heartbreaking finals later, will third time be the charm for them?
Team news: Who will open with Matthews for MI?
MI had promoted Amelia Kerr to the opening slot, and pushed Yastika Bhatia down the order for a couple of games. While Yastika was able to make quick runs from her new position, Kerr, who hasn’t been in the best of form with the bat, wasn’t able to capitalise on her starts. The order went back to what it was in the Eliminator against Gujarat Giants (GG), but neither player made an impact. Will MI switch their positions again to get the best out of Yastika?
MI had also brought in left-arm spinner Saika Ishaque in place of Parunika Sisodia for the Eliminator. Will they pick Ishaque again for the final after she bowled just one over against GG?
Mumbai Indians (probable): 1 Hayley Matthews, 2 Amelia Kerr, 3 Nat Sciver-Brunt, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Amanjot Kaur, 6 Yastika Bhatia (wk), 7 S Sajana, 8 G Kamalini, 9 Sanskriti Gupta, 10 Shabnim Ismail, 11 Saika Ishaque
DC, who were last in action on March 7, are unlikely to make any changes to their line-up.
Delhi Capitals (probable): 1 Meg Lanning (capt), 2 Shafali Verma, 3 Jemimah Rodrigues, 4 Annabel Sutherland, 5 Marizanne Kapp, 6 Jess Jonassen, 7 Sarah Bryce (wk), 8 Niki Prasad, 9 Minnu Mani, 10 Shikha Pandey, 11 Titas Sadhu
Players to watch: Jemimah Rodrigues and Hayley Matthews
Jemimah Rodrigues has endured a lean season with the bat. She has just one fifty – which came in a loss – in six innings that include three single-digit scores and one duck. Rodrigues has dropped down to No. 4 to accommodate Jonassen at the top, which has done the heavy lifting. She’ll be looking to make a stronger impression in her hometown in the most important match of the tournament. Rodrigues’ fielding, though, has been top-notch throughout the season.
Hayley Matthews found proper form with the bat in the Eliminator, but it is her bowling that has stood out throughout the tournament. She is currently the top wicket-taker, with 17 wickets at an average of 15.88, and has been successful in all phases of the tournament as highlighted by her performance in the Eliminator. In the 2023 final, Matthews had bowled an extraordinary spell of 3 for 5 in her four overs, which included the wicket of Jonassen, and played a crucial role in MI’s title win at the Brabourne Stadium.
Sruthi Ravindranath is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo
