Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals to kick off WPL on February 23 in Bengaluru

NEW DELHI (Agencies): Defending champions Mumbai Indians and 2023 runners-up Delhi Capitals are set to kick off the 2024 edition of Women’s Premier League (WPL) on February 23 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The five-team competition will have a total of 22 matches, with the final set to be played on March 17. After the entire tournament was held only in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai in 2023, the WPL this season will be hosted across two venues: Bengaluru and Delhi. As reported by ESPNcricinfo, the first half of the tournament ––– the first 11 matches ––– will be held in Bengaluru while Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium will host the final 11 games, which includes the knockouts. Royal Challengers Bangalore will start their campaign against UP Warriorz on February 24 while Gujarat Giants play their first game of the season against Mumbai on February 25. The Delhi leg of the tournament gets underway on March 5 again with Capitals taking on Mumbai in the return fixture.

With no double-header days scheduled, there will be one league-stage game every day from February 23 to March 13. The Eliminator will be held on March 15, with the final on March 17 in Delhi. Each team will play eight games, before the league topper goes into the final, with teams finishing second and third on the points table facing off in the Eliminator for the other spot in the final. In the 2024 WPL auction held in December last year, Australia’s Annabel Sutherland (Capitals) and India uncapped Kaashvee Gautam (Giants) earned big bids of INR 2 crore each. Vrinda Dinesh, another uncapped Indian, was picked up for INR 1.3 crore by Warriorz while Mumbai splurged INR 1.2 crore on South African fast bowler Shabnim Ismail. Pheobe Litchfield also got big money having been picked up by Giants for INR 1 crore. The Harmnapreet Kaur-led Mumbai were crowned champions of the inaugural WPL after they defeated Capitals by seven wickets in what was a one-sided final. It was Nat-Sciver Brunt who led the way scoring an unbeaten 55-ball 60 as Mumbai overhauled the 132-run target with ease.