Fantasy: Back Saika, Lanning, Capsey for money-ball

It is the two top teams – Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals – who will go up against each other for that first place. Currently, Mumbai hold that place having won a game more than Delhi but if Delhi do win their clash against MI, they might have an opportunity to pip past them and top the table. 

Interestingly, both the teams are coming to this clash on the back of a loss. With conditions slowing down, will we see a low-scoring thriller between these two sides? 

Pitch and conditions

DY Patil Sports Academy has been quite a perplexing venue thus far in the WPL. While some games have seen 200+ scores, several games post those high-scoring thrillers have been low-scoring ones where spinners have come more into play. The average score batting first at the venue is 151 across 16 innings.

Bank on the middle-order because at the venue, the middle-order batters have scored with a strike-rate of 132, at an average of 29.8. 51 wickets at the venue have been taken by the pacers, which accounts to 55.4% of the wickets. The spinners at the venue have picked 41 wickets, with a strike-rate of 21.9. So, pick your battle wisely at the venue.

Suggested Team

While you could go for the above team, you can also choose your team from Cricket.com’s Fantasy Research Centre. You can use this tool to build your team with the help of algorithms. Then, based on your preferences, the platform will guide you through creating the ideal fantasy XI.

Captaincy Picks

For small leagues: Meg Lanning (c), Nat Sciver-Brunt (vc)

For grand leagues: Jess Jonassen (c), Hayley Matthews (vc)

Stats that Matter

-    Delhi’s top-order has the best numbers this season among all teams, with 547 runs scored with a strike-rate of 158.1. The closest any other team has got to them, are RCB, who a strike-rate of 142.3. So, expect some firework from Delhi Capitals in their clash. 

-    Meg Lanning will want to take the Orange Cap back from the hands of Sophie Devine, with the right-hander having scored 239 runs in the season, averaging a high 47.79, with a high score of 72. Another batter that will be in focus – Harmanpreet Kaur – with the right-hander having scored 205 runs, at an average of 68.3. 

-    Mumbai’s bowling unit are one of the best teams in the league thus far, with Saiqa Ishaque picking up 12 wickets. Hayley Matthews isn’t too far behind, with 11 wickets, and Amelia Kerr picking up 10 wickets. 

Grand League Punts

-    Jess Jonassen might not have done a whole lot in the tournament but on her day, the Australian all-rounder is quite a dangerous prospect. After conceding 39 runs with the ball, the left-handed batter came back with the bat, scoring a crucial 29*. Even in the clash against UP Warriorz, Jonassen was quite handy with the bat, scoring 42*, so that’s an aspect to keep in mind. 

-    At the start of the tournament, Hayley Matthews was the big thing, so having her in Grand League is quite a surprise. It is because of her indifferent form in the recent times. Even then, the right-hander is the second-best bowler with 11 wickets. She’s also up there as the fifth-best batter in the competition, with 203 runs. 

Here are the top ten Criclytics projections

Predicted XIs

Probable XI: Yastika Bhatia (wk), Hayley Matthews, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Amelia Kerr, Isabelle Wong, Dhara Gujjar, Humaira Kazi, Amanjot Kaur, Jintimani Kalita, Saika Ishaque 

Delhi Capitals: Meg Lanning (C), Shafali Verma, Marizanne Kapp, Jemimah Rodrigues, Alice Capsey, Jess Jonassen, Taniya Bhatia, Radha Yadav, Shikha Pandey, Minnu Mani, Tara Norris