The Mumbai Indians have selected Parunika Sisodia, the champion of the Under-19 World Cup, to replace the seasoned Pooja Vastrakar in the forthcoming Women’s Premier League, which starts on February 14. The Indian pace bowler, who hasn’t played competitive cricket since October 2024, was just ruled out with a knee injury.
Sisodia was one of the highlights of the India Women U19 team’s most recent championship run. The left-arm spinner was one of the many important members of the victorious team, taking 10 wickets in six games. Notably, in the league’s first season, she was signed by the Gujarat Giants Women. At an expense of INR 10 lakh, she joined MI-W.
In place of Asha Sobhana, Nuzhat Parween
The defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, have substituted wicketkeeper-batter Nuzhat Parween, who was born in Madhya Pradesh, for the injured Asha Sobhana. Parween, who plays for Railways, has played in five Twenty20 Internationals for India Women. She would join RCB-W for INR 30 lakh, which is her base salary.
Since October 2024, when she last played in the Women’s T20 World Cup, Sobhana has been recovering from her injuries. As the second-highest wicket-taker with 12 in the previous edition, the leg-spinning all-rounder was crucial to the team.
After a protracted recovery from a shin injury, Shreyanka Patil is also a questionable starter with Sobhana. Neither of the two played in India’s home season or their three-match ODI series in Australia.
At the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara, the Giants will play the Bengaluru-based team in the WPL 2025 curtain-raiser. On Friday, February 14 at 7:30 p.m. (IST), the game is set to begin.
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