UP Warriorz seek first win as Mumbai Indians look to extend streak
The UP Warriorz (UPW) have more issues than only a lack of wins. With three losses, they are the only remaining club in this year's league without a victory. They will now visit Mumbai for what will be their fourth game against the in-form Mumbai Indians (MI), who themselves are looking for a third straight victory.
There was some hope for UPW in their most recent match-up against the Delhi Capitals. Their bowlers put up a strong showing, which kept Delhi from attaining a win. Although they fell short in the end, Captain Meg Lanning’s great innings and strong leadership will keep the team focused and motivated going into their next game.
UPW also experienced a slight misfire when it came to game strategy. UPW will have a chance to adjust for their third game strategy, as they saw the WPL take place previously without a retirement (before UPW implemented the strategy). After having Harleen Deol retire out while scoring 47 runs, UPW found themselves in a precarious position and lost four wickets for only 11 runs after that.
At this time, there doesn’t seem to be any clarity about where UPW will place their “top.” This is being showcased by the continued use of Kiran Navgire at the top of the order, even with three consecutive low scores in their last matches; however, questions are being asked by the up-and-coming players. Can we move Phoebe Litchfield up to the top of the order? Or how about Shweta Sehrawat moving into the opening spot, giving Navgire a chance to move into the middle order or be used as a finisher? With a short amount of time left in the tournament, UPW has to figure these issues out soon.
MI, on the other hand, is dealing with a different type of challenge. On one hand, Nicola Carey is proving herself useful with both the bat and the ball. On the other hand, Hayley Matthews made an explosive return from injury this past weekend, reminding everyone that even if she is on the shelf due to an injury, she can still hit the ball a mile. Not only has Amelia Kerr been excellent with the ball during the tournament, but Shabnim Ismail has been excellent as well in all three games so far during the tournament. The biggest problem MI has to deal with going forward is which of their four overseas players (Carey, Matthews, Kerr, and Ismail) will sit out once Nat Sciver-Brunt comes back to the team after being sick during the last match. This speaks to how strong MI is, as they have so many players who can contribute.
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