The 2025 edition of the WPL will get underway on Friday, February 14, with the tournament set for a landmark third edition. Here are what the best XIs will look like for each side.
This year, the tournament will be played across four different venues in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Lucknow and Vadodara. The same five teams as in previous editions will compete for the title, after Royal Challengers Bengaluru pipped Delhi Capitals to the trophy last year, winning their first championship.
There have been significant changes to squads this year, with multiple high-profile players unavailable through injury, and off season trading between teams. This is what the best starting XIs for each team could look like.
Delhi Capitals
Squad: Meg Lanning (c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Sneha Deepthi, Alice Capsey, Annabel Sutherland, Arundhati Reddy, Jess Jonassen, Marizanne Kapp, Minnu Mani, N. Charani, Niki Prasad, Radha Yadav, Shikha Pandey, Nandini, Sarah Bryce, Taniyaa Bhatia, Titas Sadhu.
Delhi Capitals finished as the runner-up in last year's tournament, losing the final for the second time in consecutive years. They will start their campaign this year against Mumbai Indians on February 15. Meg Lanning is set to lead the side again, and their squad was bolstered at the auction by securing uncapped all-rounder N. Charani for 55 lakh. They also added Nandini Kashyap, Niki Prasad and Sarah Bryce at the auction. Bryce could feature as an extra overseas player and offers more with the bat than Taniya Bhatia, while Lanning, Shafali Verma, Alice Capsey and Marizanne Kapp will be key as ever.
Likely XI: Shafali Verma, Meg Lanning (c), Alice Capsey, Jemimah Rodrigues, Marizanne Kapp, Nandini Kashyap (wk), Shikha Pandey, Jess Jonassen, Arundhati Reddy, Titas Sadhu, Radha Yadav.
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Gujarat Giants
Squad: Ash Gardner (c), Bharti Fulmali, Laura Wolvaardt, Phoebe Litchfield, Simran Shaikh, Danni Gibson, Dayalan Hemalatha, Deandra Dottin, Harleen Deol, Sayali Satghare, Tanuka Kanwer, Beth Mooney, Kashvee Gautam, Mannat Kashyap, Meghna Singh, Prakashika Naik, Priya Mishra, Shabnam Shakil.
A new captain will lead Gujarat Giants this year in the form of Ash Gardner. The Giants finished bottom of the table for the second consecutive season last year, only winning two out of their eight games. The biggest name coming into the Giants squad is West Indies power-hitter Deandra Dottin, who is a significant addition for the top order. They also splurged 1.9 crore on Simran Shaikh at the auction - the biggest buy of the event. Danni Gibson also comes in as a pace-bowling all-rounder, with Kathryn Bryce, Lea Tahuhu and Sneh Rana all no longer in the squad.
Likely XI: Beth Mooney (wk), Laura Wolvaardt, Deandra Dottin, Dayalan Hemalatha, Harleen Deol, Ash Gardner (c), Simran Shaikh, Shabnam Shakil, Meghna Singh, Priya Mishra, Tanuja Kanwar.
Mumbai Indians
Squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Akshita Maheshwari, Amandeep Kaur, Amanjot Kaur, Amelia Kerr, Chloe Tryon, Hayley Matthews, Jintimani Kalita, Keerthana Balakrishnan, Nadine de Klerk, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Sajeevan Sajana, Sanskriti Gupta, G. Kamalini, Yastika Bhatia, Parunika Sisodia, Saika Ishaque, Shabnim Ismail.
The inaugural champions were knocked out in the Eliminator last year by eventual winners RCB. This year, they've added South Africa's Nadine de Klerk to their ranks as well as India U19 World Cup winner G Kamalini. They were dealt a blow before the start of the tournament with Pooja Vastrakar being ruled out for the whole competition. In her place, seam bowling all-rounder Parunika Sisodia will join the squad.
Likely XI: Yastika Bhatia (wk), Hayley Matthews, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amelia Kerr, Amanjot Kaur, Akshita Maheshwari, Saika Ishaque, Shabnim Ismail, Amandeep Kaur, G Kamalini.
RCB hold their nerve, beating defending champions Mumbai Indians by five runs in the eliminator 👏
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) March 15, 2024
They'll face Delhi Capitals in Sunday's WPL final, with both franchises chasing their first piece of silverware 🏆#WPL2024 pic.twitter.com/wRzeFZgHrQ
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Squad: Smriti Mandhana (c), Sabbineni Meghana, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Charlie Dean, Ellyse Perry, Georgia Wareham, Heather Graham, Joshitha V J, Kanika Ahuja, Kim Garth, Prema Rawat, Raghvi Bist, Shreyanka Patil, Nuzhat Parween, Richa Ghosh, Ekta Bisht, Jaggravi Pawar, Renuka Singh.
The reigning champions have taken several blows with player availability ahead of this season, with Sophie Devine on a break from cricket, and Kate Cross, Ash Sobhana and Sophie Molineux both injured. Ellyse Perry and Shreyanka Patil are also doubts to start the tournament with injuries of their own. However, the side have managed to secure high quality replacements, with Charlie Dean stepping in for Molineux, Heather Graham for Devine and Kim Garth for Cross. Nuzhat Parween has come into the squad as a last minute replacement for Asha Sobhana.
Likely XI: Smriti Mandhana (c), Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Ellyse Perry, Sabbineni Meghana, Richa Ghosh (wk), Raghvi Bist, Prema Rawat, Georgia Wareham, Kim Garth, Kanika Ahuja, Renuka Singh.
UP Warriorz
Squad: Deepti Sharma (c), Arushi Goel, Kiran Navgire, Shweta Sehrawat, Vrinda Dinesh, Chamari Athapaththu, Chinelle Henry, Grace Harris, Kranti Goud, Poonam Khemnar, Sophie Ecclestone, Tahlia McGrath, Uma Chetry, Alana King, Anjali Sarvani, Gouher Sultana, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Saima Thakor.
UP Warriorz have been forced to make a late captaincy change, with Alyssa Healy unavailable for the tournament. Deepti Sharma will lead the side instead, and West Indies' lower-order batter Chinelle Henry called up to the squad as replacement. The side have also drafted in Ashes hero Alani King, as well as Arushi Goel and Kranti Goud.
Likely XI: Chamari Athapaththu, Kiran Navgire, Tahlia McGrath, Deepti Sharma (c), Grace Harris, Poonam Khemnar, Uma Chetry (wk), Sophie Ecclestone, Anjali Sarvani, Saima Thakor, Rajeshwari Gayakwad.
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