The heavily hyped Women’s Premier League 2023 is set to begin when Mumbai Indians (MI) and Gujarat Giants (GT) square off in the competition’s opening match at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday, March 4.
Similar to how the Indian Premier League transformed men’s cricket, the WPL 2023 aims to bring in a new era for women’s cricket. The top names in women’s cricket have come to Maharashtra for the first season of the WPL because the competition will only be played at DY Patil Stadium and Brabourne Stadium.
Every tournament’s season opener typically sets the tone for the entire campaign, so Mumbai and Gujarat will both be looking to start with a thrilling contest for the crowd.
Star players can be found in the ranks of both franchises. The faces of MI are Harmanpreet Kaur, Amelia Kerr, and Nat Sciver-Brunt, whilst Beth Mooney, Ashleigh Gardner, and Sneh Rana are the key players for GT. Check complete details on 5 players to watch for in today’s MI vs GGT WPL 2023 match.
Nat Sciver-Brunt – Mumbai Indians
On the strength of some impressive form, Nat Sciver-Brunt will compete in the franchise tournament. She finished the most recent ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 with the highest batting average among batters (72.00). She’ll undoubtedly spark the MI vs GT match.
The Mumbai-based team will be hoping Sciver-Brunt maintains her scorching form because her addition in the MI middle-order would undoubtedly strengthen their middle-order.
Beth Mooney (Gujarat Giants)
The Gujarat Giants team in the WPL will be led by Beth Mooney. The Australian opener is known for excelling in big games, and her scores of 74 (in the finals) and 54 (in the semifinals) at the Women’s T20 World Cup 2023.
Given that the GGT squad lacks any elite Indian batters, it will be up to Mooney to excel and she will do so in her role as captain as well. Beth Mooney is one of the most effective foreign batters in Indian conditions, She has 341 runs in 11 T20 Internationals with a strike rate of 139.18 and an average of 48.71.
Harmanpreet Kaur (Mumbai Indians)
In front of her home crowd, India’s standout captain Harmanpreet Kaur will be eager to have her first victory in the competition. Harmanpreet Kaur is the top batter to watch out for during WPL 2023. Her ability to hit sixes at, making her an important player for the MI squad. She can change the result of any game on its own.
Pooja Vastrakar – Mumbai Indians
Pooja Vastrakar, who played for the Supernovas in the Women’s T20 Competition last year, finished the competition with the most wickets. In three innings, the right-arm pitcher took out six batters, giving her best tournament statistics of 4/12. MI will surely be hoping that she will continue her fantastic form in WPL 2023 also.
Ashleigh Gardner – Gujarat Giants
Ashleigh Gardner, who was the Gujarat Giants’ co-most expensive overseas acquisition at the WPL 2023 auction (INR 3.20 crore), will be a key role.
At the T20 World Cup, the Australian all-rounder stood out as the best player. With 10 wickets in six games and an economy rate of 6.25, she won Player of the Series and is looking forward to the challenge of proving herself in the WPL.
Also Read: WPL 2023: Team-wise Squad, Playing XI, Captain, Coach, All You Need To Know
