In the very first match of the first Women’s Premier League 2023, the Mumbai Indians scored more than 200 runs, giving supporters value for their money. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led team defeated the Beth Mooney-led team by a staggering 143-run margin to earn the victory. In the second game between Meg Lanning’s Delhi Capitals and Smriti Mandhana’s Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Capitals posted 223 runs on the board, surpassing Mumbai Indians’ total from the previous encounter. They triumphed over the Bangalore-based franchise by 60 runs to secure a decisive victory.
Since the very first game, Meg Lanning has been the tournament’s leading run-scorer and has led her team from the front. By scoring key runs for her side while opening the batting alongside Shafali Verma, Lanning carried the momentum in every game and proudly wears the orange cap despite a difficult challenge from Mumbai’s Hayley Matthews.
Saika Ishaque, an up-and-coming wicketkeeper for the Mumbai Indians, has taken the game by storm. In her WPL debut, the 27-year-old from Kolkata recorded 4 wickets and 11 runs from 11 overs in the first game. Since then, she has not been wicketless in any of the four games played by Mumbai to date.
With 12 wickets in four games, Ishaque is presently the Purple captain.
In four games, Lanning has scored 206 runs, including two half-centuries. She and Shafali Verma established a record-setting opening partnership of 162 runs in the first game, scoring 72 runs off 43 deliveries. In the second match against UP Warriorz, she scored 70 runs off of 42 deliveries to lead her team to win. In the third game against Mumbai Indians, she led her team in scoring with 41 runs off 42 balls. In the fourth game against Gujarat, she stayed unbeaten with 21 runs off 15 balls.
After dazzling everyone in Mumbai’s season opener, Saika Ishaque claimed two wickets against RCB despite giving 26 runs. In the third game against the red-hot Delhi Capitals, Ishaque’s three wickets for thirteen runs allowed Mumbai to continue their winning streak and put an end to DC’s winning streak. In the most recent match against UP Warriorz, Saika took three wickets while conceding 33 runs, assisting her team in restricting the opposition to a low score.
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