MI vs UPW Match Prediction: Who will win today's WPL 2024 match?
The playoff race in the 2024 Women's Premier League (WPL) is heating up. With the Delhi Capital pulling clear at the top of the table and the Royal Challengers Bangalore stumbling a bit, both the Mumbai Indians and the UP Warriorz are in tricky positions at the moment.
While MI are placed third and could go into second with a win on Thursday, March 7, they are facing an uphill battle to finish atop the standings and secure direct entry into the final. UPW, meanwhile, desperately need a win and will lose further ground in the playoff race if they fall to the defending champions.
The Warriorz will take heart from the fact that they beat the Indians not too long ago. KP Navgire's second-innings blitz ensured that UPW chased down MI's score of 161 with seven wickets and 21 balls to spare. Grace Harris chipped in with both bat and ball as Hayley Matthews' painstaking knock went in vain.
This time, though, MI will be an even more motivated side. After falling to DC, Harmanpreet Kaur and Co. will know that they can't afford to drop two more points. And when they are on song, they are clearly the best side in the WPL.
Can UPW complete the double over MI, or will Mumbai return to winning ways?
WPL 2024, Match 14: MI look to keep pace with DC as playoff race heats up
The square at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi seems to have similar pitches throughout, with excellent batting tracks on which bounce is a tad low. Spin hasn't had a major role to play in the two games of the Delhi leg, meaning that UPW might struggle to impose themselves.
In Chamari Athapaththu, Grace Harris, Sophie Ecclestone, Deepti Sharma and Rajeshwari Gayakwad, the Warriorz have the luxury of bowling just finger-spin for 20 overs. That might not be much of a luxury against MI, though, with pace expected to have a bigger say.
In Shabnim Ismail, Mumbai have a deadly powerplay bowler. If the South African can pick up the wickets of the openers early, UPW's undercooked middle order - barring Harris - could seriously struggle. Moreover, with Pooja Vastrakar finding her rhythm in the last two games, Ismail will have support.
MI haven't looked anywhere near their best in WPL 2024 so far, but that could change. They have their best XI back, and with the seemingly less important cogs like Amanjot Kaur and S Sajana finding form, their XI wears a settled, well-rounded look.
While UPW are definitely in with a shout, MI might have the slight edge.
Prediction: MI to win Match 14 of WPL 2024