On-the-move Warriorz have the firepower to stop the Mumbai Indians winning spree
Mumbai Indians vs UP Warriorz
Mumbai Indians are in cruise control with three wins in three games, each one of them superbly dominant. This game, therefore, could be the perfect opportunity to bring some of their other overseas players, like Chloe Tryon, into the mix, to give them game time when the sailing is smooth. They might also be better off playing a specialist bowler in place of Amanjot Kaur, who hasn't been needed with either bat or ball so far.
But next in their way are UP Warriorz. Warriorz have empowered their young Indian talents: Kiran Navgire, Shweta Sehrawat, Devika Vaidya, Simran Shaikh to name a few. In Alyssa Healy, they have a captain who has already delivered outstanding returns on investment with her strong leadership style and bruising batting up front.
They have undone some of their net run-rate issues by beating Royals Challengers Bangalore with seven overs in hand, and a win over Mumbai will bring them level on points with Mumbai and Delhi Capitals, which will make the fight for the playoffs all the more engaging.
Players to watch
Saika Ishaque is 27 but has toiled in domestic cricket without much reward or recognition for years. But here, she's hardly shown nerves and has displayed confidence in her abilities, which has helped her surge to the top of the wicket-takers' chart with her left-arm spin. Batters have failed to pick her lengths, the clever deceptions in the air, and fizz off the pitch. She has shown the ability to also bowl across phases in a T20 innings. It makes you wonder if she might leapfrog the incumbents in the national team.
Devika Vaidya's batting wasn't utilised to full potential until the previous game, when Warriorz found out that she could be the perfect foil to the destructive Healy. Vaidya can lend the calmness they lacked in the first two games, when their youngsters struggled to adjust to the pace and bounce of the DY Patil surface. Vaidya has had a second wind of sorts in her career, having made a comeback after three years, and would want to make a big impact.
Likely XIs
Mumbai Indians: 1 Yastika Bhatia (wk), 2 Hayley Matthews, 3 Nat Sciver-Brunt, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Amelia Kerr/Chloe Tryon, 6 Pooja Vastrakar, 7 Issy Wong, 8 Amanjot Kaur, 9 Humaira Kazi, 10 Jintimani Kalita, 11 Saika Ishaque
UP Warriorz: 1 Alyssa Healy (capt, wk), 2 Devika Vaidya, 3 Shweta Sehrawat, 4 Kiran Navgire, 5 Deepti Sharma, 6 Tahlia McGrath, 7 Grace Harris, 8 Simran Shaikh, 9 Sophie Ecclestone, 9 Rajeshwari Gayakwad, 11 Anjali Sarvani
Quotes
"They're making my job easier. Whoever comes in is eager to bowl. When you have so many options, your job is so easy."
Harmanpreet Kaur is satisfied with the options available to her
"I think trust is the most important thing in building a successful environment. Over here at the UP Warriorz, I think we have finally got that trust and I am here trying to do the best for the franchise and the Indian players as well."
Alyssa Healy on the secret to her team's rise