WPL 2026, UP Warriorz face Mumbai Indians: Preview and stats
What's the story
The Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026 is heating up as UP Warriorz (UPW) take on Mumbai Indians (MI) on Thursday, January 15. UPW are still looking for their first win of the season after three matches. Meanwhile, MI will be looking to extend their winning streak to three games. Here are further details ahead of a crunch contest at DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai.
Team challenges
UP Warriorz's batting struggles and tactical decisions
UPW's last match against Delhi Capitals saw their bowlers put up a good fight, but the batting unit failed to deliver. Meg Lanning, the captain of Delhi Capitals, scored a half-century but lost partners at regular intervals. The team also made a controversial tactical decision by retiring out Harleen Deol after she scored 47 runs. However, this move backfired as UPW lost their next four wickets for just 11 runs.
Strategic decisions
UP Warriorz's batting order and team composition
UPW's batting order has been a matter of concern, with Kiran Navgire continuing to open despite three low scores. The team could consider promoting Phoebe Litchfield or giving Shweta Sehrawat a chance at the top. In their last match, UPW made one change by bringing in Chloe Tryon in place of Deandra Dottin. They will be looking to finalize their best XI with the available options.
Team strength
Mumbai Indians's strong performance and team composition
MI have been in great form, with Nicola Carey impressing with both bat and ball. Hayley Matthews made a strong return from injury, while Amelia Kerr has been consistent with her bowling. Shabnim Ismail has also been on point in all three matches so far. The only dilemma for MI is which overseas player to leave out when Nat Sciver-Brunt returns from illness.
Player focus
Amanjot Kaur's impact and UP Warriorz's Deepti Sharma
Amanjot Kaur has been a silent yet impactful player for MI this season. In their opening match against RCB, she bowled a tight spell of 1/18 in three overs. UPW may have to reconsider how they are using Deepti Sharma, who walked in at No. 9 during the last match against DC despite scoring an unbeaten 45 in the previous game.
Probable XIs
Here are the probable XIs
MI probable XI: G Kamalini (wk), Hayley Matthews, Amelia Kerr, Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Nicola Carey, Sajeevan Sajana, Amanjot Kaur, Poonam Khemnar, Shabnim Ismail, Sanskriti Gupta, Triveni Vasistha. UPW probable XI: Kiran Navgire, Meg Lanning (captain), Phoebe Litchfield, Harleen Deol, Shweta Sehrawat (wk), Chloe Tryon, Deepti Sharma, Sophie Ecclestone, Asha Sobhana, Shikha Pandey, Kranti Gaud.
Information
A look at the pitch report
The pitches in Navi Mumbai this season have largely been batting-friendly. 6 games have already been played here at this venue this season and we are slowly seeing signs of wear and tear. The surface will once again help slower bowlers to find some success.
Numbers
Player focus: Decoding the stats
MI's Kerr continues to lead the wicket-taking charts in WPL. She owns 46 scalps from 32 games at 17.23. Matthews isn't far behind and is the only other bowler with 40-plus wickets in WPL (42). MI skipper Harmanpreet Kaur recently became the 1st Indian batswoman with 1,000-plus WPL runs. She owns 1,016 runs and averages 46.18 from 30 matches (50s: 10). Former DC and current UPW skipper, Lanning, owns 1,050 WPL runs at 38.88 (50s: 10).