Women's Premier League 2023: Teams, key players, strongest contenders and biggest weaknesses

Mumbai Indians team owner Nita Ambani and captain Harmanpreet Kaur. The inaugural WPL will kick off today (March 4, 2023) with a match between the Mumbai Indians and the Gujarat Giants.

The Women's Premier League will be a shot in the arm for many Indian cricketers. As Mumbai Indians prepare to meet Gujarat Giants in the season opener at the DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai on Saturday, the players will look forward to balancing the nuances of high-pressure franchise cricket while picking the brains of the superstars in the dressing room.

Also read: WPL 2023: When and where to watch the opening ceremony

Mumbai Indians: Key players, strengths, weaknesses

Harmanpreet Kaur's Mumbai Indians will be keen on taking a leaf out of the men's team books — five-time champions in the Indian Premier League (IPL) — for the winning formula.

The batting department looks solid with West Indian Hayley Matthews on top of the order, supported by Kaur in the middle order. England all-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt is a utility player who can contribute with both bat and ball. She recently hammered a 40-ball 81 not out in the T20 World Cup.

New Zealand leg-spinner Amelia Kerr can be a handy player, too, but the fast-bowling department lacks depth. Issy Wong is the only genuine quick bowler in the side who can be threatening with the new ball and in the death overs. Indian seamer Pooja Vastrakar will be the other go-to bowler for Kaur, but she doesn't have the speed of Wong.

Gujarat Giants - key players, strengths, weaknesses

Gujarat have experience with former India captain Mithali Raj as the mentor and U-19 World Cup-winning coach Nooshin Al Khadeer as the bowling coach of the group.

The team looks packed with international all-rounders who are proven champions. Gujarat skipper Beth Mooney has a tremendous record against India, and the DY Patil Sports Academy has been her happy hunting ground. The left-handed batter scored two unbeaten fifties, 89 and 82 not out, against India at the same venue in December 2022, and she finished the recent T20 World Cup as the third-highest scorer with 206 runs. Ashleigh Gardner — the second-richest player at the auction at Rs 3.2 crore — and Sophia Dunkley add to the all round balance of the side.

Khadeer will expect Indian seamer Mansi Joshi to impress with the ball.

Gujarat's only weakness is not having enough Indian experience in the side besides Sneh Rana and Harleen Deol. The inexperienced players could explode with guidance but there will be uncertainty surrounding the fresh faces such as Parunika Sudhir Sisodia and Monica Patel.

Royal Challengers Bangalore - key players, strengths, weaknesses

RCB look the strongest on paper in the WPL with a solid bunch of batters, bowlers and impact players.

Led by Indian star Smriti Mandhana, the richest player at the auction at Rs 3.4 crore, the side has class on top of the order. Mandhana will be supported by all-rounders Sophie Devine and Ellyse Perry. Erin Burns can take charge with the bat during the death overs. Wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh is a hard-hitter of the ball and can be a clinical finisher, while Renuka Singh Thakur handles the new ball.

There is, however, a surprise element among the bowlers in the RCB setup. Sobhana Asha from Kerala, the leg break bowler, could be the X-factor in the side due to her ability to flight the ball.

The Bangalore side, coached by Ben Sawyer, looks perfect but the spin department is slightly inexperienced with Asha and Shreyanka Patil.

UP Warriorz - key players, strengths and weaknesses

Alyssa Healy is a smooth operator like most of her compatriots who have played in the Big Bash and The Hundred. The UP Warriorz think tank should be a confident unit as they walk into the WPL with Healy as the skipper and No. 1 T20I batter Tahlia McGrath in the ranks.

UP-born Deepti Sharma will be the selling point of the franchise as the Indian all-rounder is an impact player with a healthy record with bat and ball.

Besides the two star players, the eyes will be on young opener Shweta Sehrawat, who will take guard on the backdrop of a victorious U-19 World Cup, and power-hitter Kiran Navgire.

Spin is the strongest section in UP with Sophie Ecclestone, the No. 1 T20I bowler, in the list, along with Deepti, who is the first ever Indian bowler to claim 100 wickets in T20I cricket. Rajeshwari Gayakwad will play the supporting act to the ace spinners when required.

Shabnam Ismail is the only genuine pacer in the squad which could be a problem.

Delhi Capitals - key players, strengths, weaknesses

Delhi Capitals is a favourite for the WPL title. The squad looks powerful with T20 World champion Meg Lanning as captain, and Indian youngster Jemimah Rodrigues as her deputy.

India opener Shafali Verma, who led the U-19 team to World Cup title, and Alice Capsey of England will be the key batters along with Lanning and Rodrigues in the middle-order.

Delhi is the only team that can field five internationals as they have picked Tara Norris (USA) from an Associate nation. The 24-year-old American picked up eight wickets at an economy of 4.84 for Sussex at the Vitality Women's T20 Tournament in 2022.

Among the bowlers, one should also watch out for the uncapped Titas Sadhu who idolises Jhulan Goswami. Sadhu was the Player of the Match in the U-19 World Cup final against England for returning 2/6. Senior pro Shikha Pandey can guide her with the lengths.

It is hard to pinpoint a weak area for Delhi; only time can tell as the teams will play 20 league matches before the knockouts.