GG vs MI Match Prediction: Who will win today's WPL 2024 match?
It didn't come easy, but the Mumbai Indians (MI) commenced their 2024 Women's Premier League (WPL) campaign with a win over the Delhi Capitals (DC). The defending champions will look to make it two in two when they face off against the Gujarat Giants (GG) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday, February 25.
A spirited performance from the Capitals, led by Alice Capsey, made life difficult for MI in the tournament opener. Last year's MVP Hayley Matthews failed with both bat and ball, leaving Mumbai to find inspiration from elsewhere in a tall chase.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur stepped up with a fighting fifty. And while she couldn't carry her team over the line, WPL debut S Sajana made all the headlines in the country with an already famous last-ball six that left Capsey heartbroken after having done so much.
GG, meanwhile, are the only team yet to feature in WPL 2024. According to rankings ahead of the competition, they might just be the weakest team, with plenty of holes in all departments. The Giants, who finished dead last year, have a mountain to climb to make the playoffs this time around.
Gujarat took some steps towards the same at the WPL 2024 auction, where they broke the bank for the talented Phoebe Litchfield. The young batter, who is expected to partner her skipper, Beth Mooney, at the top of the order, is all set for a prolific campaign.
The head-to-head record between the two sides is expectedly skewed. In their first-ever meeting, MI hammered GG by a whopping 143 runs, with Harmanpreet and Saika Ishaque starring. The Mumbai skipper led the way in the second fixture as well, striking another half-century to consign the Giants to a 55-run defeat.
Can MI continue their dominance over GG? Or will Mooney and Co. spring a surprise early in the season?
WPL 2024, Match 3: MI the obvious favorites against weak GG
Hayley Matthews was hit for a few runs and bagged a duck in the tournament opener against DC. While there's no reason to ring the alarm bells just yet, the talented West Indian all-rounder wasn't at her best in the Women's Big Bash League earlier this year either.
At the same time, however, MI will be boosted by the fact that Yastika Bhatia played a fluent knock in the last game. With Harmanpreet returning to form as well, things bode well for them in the batting department.
GG will need Litchfield, Mooney, and Ash Gardener to conjure something special in WPL 2024. With a thin pace attack, an unproven domestic contingent, and a weak middle order, the Giants might struggle to compete with the best teams in the tournament, which is just what MI are.
Anything can happen in a game of cricket, and GG have enough talent in their ranks to ask questions of any opposition. However, MI are clearly the more well-rounded of the two teams and should be able to secure a comfortable victory in Bengaluru.
Prediction: MI to win Match 3 of WPL 2024.