7:45pm The big news from the toss is that Sutherland finds a place in the Capitals eleven, with Jonaseen missing out. Ismail starts for MI too, and will have a big role to play, as far as setting the tempo at the start is concerned.
Delhi Capitals XI: Meg Lanning (c), Shafali Verma, Alice Capsey, Jemimah Rodrigues, Marizanne Kapp, Annabel Sutherland, Arundhati Reddy, Minnu Mani, Taniya Bhatia, Radha Yadav, Shikha Pandey
Mumbai Indians XI: Yastika Bhatia (wk), Hayley Matthews, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Amelia Kerr, Pooja Vastrakar, Amanjot Kaur, Sajeeven Sajana, SB Keerthana, Shabnim Ismail, Saika Ishaque
7:33pm It’s time for the toss. The first of this season. Harmanpreet and Lanning are out in the middle. Harmanpreet gives it a flick. Heads is the call but it comes down as tails. Mumbai Indians will bowl first. Harmanpreet says that dew is a factor and that played a part in her decision. Shabnim Ismail is making her debut for MI. She wants her team to keep things simple and do what they did last year.
Lanning reckons it is a good wicket and that there could be runs in it. Adds that she is really looking forward to the WPL this season. Preparation has been great for the team and she wants her team to stick to their strengths.
7:25pm All three matches between these sides have been won by the team chasing. Will the captain winning the toss want to put the opposition in, or will they want runs on the board? Toss in 5.
7:20pm There was plenty happening at the auction. Neither of these sides really ripped up their 2023 blueprint (unsurprisingly), but they did acquire key players. Shabnim Ismail, who was a part of the UP Warriorz last season, was brought on board by the Mumbai Indians, while Annabel Sutherland, fresh off a Test double ton against South Africa, arrives to shore up the Capitals’ middle order and give them another valuable pace-bowling option.
Raji: “Can’t wait to see Meg in action.”
7:10pm The five captains, with the help of a chariot, are now assembling around the trophy. Harmanpreet Kaur, after her grand entry, picks up the trophy MI won last year and places it in the middle. The loudest cheer, unsurprisingly, being reserved for RCB captain Smriti Mandhana.
7:05pm Five sizzling performances, and now, the decibel levels have been turned up a notch. Absolute bedlam as Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan takes centre-stage. A lot of the stands, Ashish tells me, are packed to the rafters too.
6:40pm Ashish, who is at the ground, says the stands are not packed yet, but still quite a generous sprinkling of fans, with at least two of the stands being filled up. They will now be treated to a stunning opening ceremony, comprising of several Bollywood stars, including Shahrukh Khan, Shahid Kapoor, Siddharth Malhotra and Varun Dhawan. Kartik Aaryan and Tiger Shroff are due to perform too, and the former will start off what promises to be a glittering opening ceremony.
Let’s see what the conditions have in store for us. Natalie Germanos did the pitch report earlier today. Skewed square boundaries, 50m to one side and 61m to the other. 65m hit straight down the ground and the longest hit into the pocket is 70m; the shortest hit diagonally opposite is 47m. There is an even covering of grass, although it is not live grass. Could well be a good batting surface, reckons Germanos, adding that runs on the board will be crucial for whoever bats first.
6:30pm Who will hit the most sixes this year? Who will play the final? A competition like the WPL is tough to predict, given how strong all of these sides look on paper. Our crew, though, gave it a try nonetheless.
6:20pm As we inch closer to the first ball, here is how the squads stack up ahead of the 2024 edition of the WPL. Oh, and if you had any doubts on how many teams are there in the WPL, how many matches they play, and what the format is, this comprehensive piece should have you covered.
6:10pm The WPL has not transitioned into the home-and-away format yet, although this time, the tournament is split evenly between two venues (Bengaluru and Delhi) as opposed to just one metropolitan region.
Of course, that brings with it uncertainty. A step into the unknown. But that is intriguing (and exciting) in itself, for no one really knows what to expect, almost mandating each team to be on their toes and be at their best. And it has, as Ashish Pant writes, created plenty of buzz in Bengaluru.
6pm A rip-roaring inaugural edition to pique the interest? Check. A high-quality tournament with stars galore? Check. A platform for cricketers of all ages, backgrounds and nationalities to showcase their skills? Check. Several sell-out crowds and growing team loyalties? Check.
That, in a nutshell, was the WPL last year. It arrived, it captured the imagination and it left fans wanting for more. Those fans have had to wait 333 days for the newest iteration and now, the WPL is back. Bigger, better and with more eyeballs trained on it than ever.
Last season, the Delhi Capitals and the Mumbai Indians were, by far, the two standout sides. In fact, they finished level on points after the group stages, with NRR helping the Capitals pip MI to top spot.
Given the fine margins, it is, thus, quite fitting that these two outfits, who also contested the final in 2023, raise the curtain tonight. Defending champions Mumbai Indians, glittered with star quality from top to bottom, against the Delhi Capitals, having added more firepower to their squad, hoping to go one better than last year.
Hello and welcome to ESPNcricinfo’s live coverage of the 2024 edition of the WPL. It is the opening match of this season, and this promises to be a lot of fun. The first ball is about a couple of hours away but stick around, we have loads coming your way!
