Ranking the best opening combinations in WPL 2024 ft. Shafali Verma and Meg Lanning
The second edition of the Women’s Premier League started with a bang as defending champions Mumbai Indians clinched a thrilling victory in the curtain raiser against arch-rivals Delhi Capitals on Friday, February 23, at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
The two sides squared off thrice last season, playing two games in the league stage before the final with Harmanpreet Kaur-led Mumbai winning two of those fixtures. MI continued their dominance when the two sides encountered for the fourth time in the tournament.
The first three games of the second season have concluded and all five teams have now played at least one match. While Mumbai beat Delhi to win the first game of the season, the Royal Challengers Bangalore defeated UP Warriorz in the second.
The third game saw MI cross swords with last season’s wooden spoon-holders Gujarat Giants. MI defeated GG in both games that the two sides played against each other last season and continued their winning streak, defeating them for the third time in the tournament.
With new players joining the squads after the auction, some teams have continued with the same opening pair as the previous season, while some have changed their top-order lineup. On that note, let us rank the best opening combinations of the five teams of the WPL 2024.
#5 Beth Mooney and Veda Krishnamurthy - Gujarat Giants
The Gujarat Giants had to look out for a new opening combination for this season, with Sophia Dunkley being unavailable. In their campaign opener against the Mumbai Indians, which was the third game of the tournament, Gujarat sent Veda alongside Mooney, as Laura Wolvaardt was missing in action.
While Mooney opened for the side in the curtain raiser of the WPL 2023, she sustained an injury and had to retire hurt before eventually being ruled out of the entire tournament. However, she resumed her duties as an opener and a captain this year.
But Gujarat’s plan of opening their innings with Veda failed miserably. Krishnamurthy, a new addition to the team this year who has experience of batting in the middle order, was dismissed for a two-ball duck which initiated an early collapse.
Gujarat will need to bring massive changes to their strategies if they wish to forget last season’s performances and make a comeback.
#4 Smriti Mandhana and Sophie Devine - Royal Challengers Bangalore
Royal Challengers Bangalore did not change their opening pair as skipper Smriti Mandhana and the experienced Kiwi all-rounder Sophie Devine opened the innings in their campaign opener against the UP Warriorz.
The inaugural edition was one to forget for the RCB skipper, but Devine was at her sheer best and even notched up the highest individual score of the tournament (99). However, the duo couldn’t put up memorable performances as a pair.
Even in their first game of WPL 2024, Mandhana managed to get a four and a six to her name, but Devine was dismissed cheaply, scoring just one off five deliveries. The duo struggled to get going initially and a lot is to be worked out for this pair to do well in the forthcoming games.
#3 Alyssa Healy and Vrinda Dinesh - UP Warriorz
The UP Warriorz made a change to their opening pair, as the team’s newcomer Vrinda Dinesh found her place in the XI and at the top of the order. While skipper Alyssa Healy maintained her spot at the top, Dinesh was preferred ahead of Shweta Sehrawat.
While Healy couldn’t get going in the team’s first game of WPL 2024 against RCB, Vrinda notched up three fours in her 28-ball 18. She struggled initially but found form soon, before being dismissed by RCB’s rising star Asha Sobhana.
Given Healy’s experience at the top and Vrinda’s recent form in white-ball cricket, the duo can be a deadly opening combination. It will be interesting to see what Vrinda Dinesh has to offer at the WPL this year and if she can work in tandem with the Australian skipper.
#2 Hayley Matthews and Yastika Bhatia - Mumbai Indians
Mumbai Indians’ opening pair remained intact as West Indies’ power-hitter Hayley Matthews and Indian star Yastika Bhatia opened the innings for the side in the curtain-raiser this season again.
The two put up memorable performances last season with Matthews being one of the MVPs for MI last year. However, their individual performances overpowered their game as partners and the duo is yet to prove what they can do together.
The recent game saw Matthews being dismissed early, but Yastika Bhatia showed nerves of steel and notched up her maiden half-century of the tournament. The two are fast-paced batters and they’ll only bring fireworks to the scene when they build a partnership.
None of the batters could put up a show in MI’s second game of the tournament against Gujarat Giants, but given their ability to bat aggressively in the powerplay, this pair can be deadly on their day.
#1 Shafali Verma and Meg Lanning - Delhi Capitals
One of the finest opening pairs of the WPL so far has been that of Meg Lanning and Shafali Verma. The combination of the Indian opening batter and the former Australian skipper is a perfect blend of youth and experience.
They proved it last year in the second game of the tournament against RCB. Opening the innings, Lanning and Verma shared a humongous 162-run stand, piling up the runs in 14.3 overs before the former departed scoring a 43-ball 72.
Verma walked back just a couple of balls after Lanning’s dismissal, scoring 84 runs off 45 deliveries. The duo’s opening partnership of 162 runs remains the tournament’s highest opening stand thus far, and it also helped Delhi post a total of 223 runs, the highest in WPL history.
Lanning and Verma further shared several 50-run opening partnerships in the tournament, which helped them clinch victories and remain consistent in the tournament before eventually making it to the summit clash.
Though Verma is more of an aggressive batter and loses her wickets easily, she usually provides the team with the desired start. Lanning’s experience of playing with composure helps in building a strong opening partnership here.