UP Warriorz face a critical challenge against Mumbai Indians in WPL 2025, as their playoff hopes hang by a thread. After a rough start with two defeats, they bounced back with a victory against Delhi Capitals but have since lost two more matches, placing them at the bottom of the points table. Chinelle Henry’s impressive strike-rate suggests she deserves a higher batting position, yet her talents remain underutilized. Meanwhile, the Mumbai team looks to rebound from a recent loss to maintain their shot at a top-two finish. The match is scheduled for March 6 in Lucknow.
WPL 2025
Should Chinelle Henry be batting higher up in the batting order? © BCCI
For the UP Warriorz, their playoff aspirations are precariously balanced as they face a challenging game against a wounded Mumbai Indians when WPL 2025 continues on Thursday (March 6) in Lucknow.
The Warriorz kicked off the tournament with two significant losses in Vadodara but found a turning point in Bengaluru, becoming the first team this season to defend a score against the now-qualified Delhi Capitals. They also achieved a historic win in the tournament’s first Super Over, courtesy of Sophie Ecclestone’s brilliant all-around performance against RCB. Unfortunately, they have since lost two more matches, landing at the bottom of the points table, tied with RCB at four points, yet struggling with a concerning net run rate of -0.786.
In a disappointing homecoming, Beth Mooney scored 96* to help Gujarat Giants set a target of 186, marking just the second instance this season where a team successfully defended a total. On a good wicket, the Warriorz faltered with both bat and ball, failing to optimize their resources. The bowlers had an off day, with only Chinelle Henry managing to keep her economy under 8 runs per over, while veteran spinner Gouher Sultana was inexplicably not utilized despite being included in the lineup in place of a pacer (Saima Thakor).
UP’s frequently changing batting order lacked the necessary heroes to stand up during a tough chase. Only Henry and Ecclestone, batting at positions 8 and 9 respectively, achieved a strike rate above 100. Henry’s strike rate stands impressively at 210, yet with just 138 runs in five matches due to her low batting order, she hasn’t been moved up to a more impactful position—something that could alleviate the team’s middle-order struggles.
Regarding the middle order’s strength, Nat Sciver-Brunt (272 runs, ranked 2nd) and Harmanpreet Kaur (133 runs, ranked 13th) have shouldered much of the scoring for the inaugural champions. Opening batters Hayley Matthews and Yastika Bhatia have failed to lay solid foundations, frequently getting separated during the PowerPlay across all five matches, totaling a mere 73 runs in five innings, with three partnerships falling into single-digit territory. Particularly, Bhatia has struggled to find rhythm since returning from a finger fracture, while Matthews showed signs of improvement featuring a half-century in their earlier match in Bengaluru. Additionally, Amelia Kerr, batting at number 5, has not contributed effectively this season, burdening more scoring responsibility on the captain and vice-captain duo.
Meanwhile, MI’s three-match winning run was halted abruptly by a disastrous nine-wicket defeat to Delhi Capitals, who secured a double against them. With aspirations for a top-two finish, Mumbai must act decisively in the concluding stages of the tournament, particularly as they approach their final two round-robin matches at home on consecutive nights.
When: Thursday, March 6 at 7:30 PM IST
Where: Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow
What to expect: Unlike the trend observed throughout this WPL season, Lucknow has favored teams batting first, with 10 out of the 15 women’s T20 matches here being won by the team batting first, including the Giants managing to successfully defend their 186-run target against the hosts just two nights ago. The pace bowlers from the Giants, Kashvee Gautam and Deandra Dottin, performed admirably despite the venue’s inclination towards favoring slower bowlers.
Team News
UP Warriorz: In a strategic change, the home team has dropped Tahlia McGrath and introduced replacement player Georgia Voll into their XI, who is likely to remain despite a duck on her WPL debut. They also brought in Gouher Sultana but did not utilize her services; hence, it’s plausible they could swap her out for an additional pace bowler following their struggles against the Giants.
Probable XI: Kiran Navgire, Grace Harris, Georgia Voll, Vrinda Dinesh, Deepti Sharma (c), Shweta Sehrawat, Chinelle Henry, Uma Chetry (wk), Sophie Ecclestone, Kranti Goud, Gouher Sultana/Saima Thakor
Mumbai Indians: A standout of the first season, Saika Ishaque has not participated in WPL 2025 following a tough outing against DC in MI’s season opener. Against a right-handed dominant UPW, she could make her return at the expense of either Sanskriti Gupta or Jintimani Kalita, both of whom have primarily been underutilized, bowling only a few overs thus far.
Probable XI: Hayley Matthews, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Amelia Kerr, Amanjot Kaur, Sajeevan Sajana, G Kamalini, Sanskriti Gupta, Shabnim Ismail, Jintimani Kalita/Saika Ishaque
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