Women's IPL 2020: SWOT analysis of Velocity
The third edition of the Women's IPL is all set to commence from tomorrow with the Supernovas taking on Velocity in the opening match of the competition at the Sharjah Cricket Ground.
In addition to the Supernovas and the Trailblazers, the board introduced the third team, Velocity, in the last edition of the tournament. The team performed well under the able guidance of Mithali Raj and reached the finals of the league.
Despite faltering in the summit clash, there were a lot of positives for the team with the emergence of Shafali Verma along with a couple of more domestic players.
Here is a detailed analysis of the team ahead of this much-anticipated tournament.
Strength - The explosive opening combination
The last edition of this very tournament saw the emergence of Shafali Verma as one of the most exciting prospects for Indian cricket. Within a span of one year, she not only made her debut for India but also played a vital role in India's campaign at the World T20 in Australia.
Verma will be partnered by the experienced Danielle Wyatt at the top of Velocity's batting order. With two centuries to her name, Wyatt is one of the best players in the world in the shortest format.
Wyatt and Verma will forge a formidable opening combination for Velocity. The duo have the ability and the firepower to take the attack to the opposition and utilize the field restriction in the first six overs to help Velocity get off to a flying start.
Weakness - Inexperienced bowling unit
Shikha Pandey will be the leader of the pack as far as the bowling unit of the team is concerned. She will be supported by Jahanara Alam, the right-arm medium pacer from Bangladesh.
However, the bowling unit is full of youngsters and lacks experience at this level. Leigh Kasperek and Sune Luus, the overseas players from New Zealand and South Africa respectively, will be making their debut for the team.
It will be interesting to see the tactics and strategy applied by Mithali Raj with this young bowling unit as most of the bowlers have little or no experience in these alien conditions.
Opportunity - The young spinners in the side
The tournament will give the young spinners in the side like Devika Vaidya and Sushree Dibyadarshini a chance to showcase their talent and stake a claim for themselves in the national side.
The Indian team is known to be heavily reliant on spinners as far as the bowling unit is concerned. a breakthrough tournament can be a stepping stone for the two players.
The duo have been consistent performers in the domestic circuit and have the ability to strangle the opposition with their impeccable line and length in the middle overs.
Threat - Fragile middle order
Velocity has the most explosive opening combination in the tournament in Shafali Verma and Danielle Wyatt. However, one of the major areas of concern for Mithali Raj is the lack of experience in the middle order.
The captain herself along with Veda Krishnamurthy will have to share the bulk of the responsibility in the middle order.
However, Krishnamurthy's form in the recent past coupled with the lack of T20 matches for Raj and the young batters who will follow makes the middle order looks extremely fragile. Velocity will need one of these experienced batters to bat through the overs if they want to clinch their maiden IPL title.