Fresh from their historic maiden ODI World Cup triumph, India’s buoyant women’s cricketers are set to return to competitive action as the fourth season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) gets underway on Friday, marking the start of preparations for this year’s T20 World Cup.

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The tournament opener will see defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI), led by Harmanpreet Kaur, take on Smriti Mandhana’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the DY Patil Stadium, widely regarded as the home of Indian women’s cricket.

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The fourth edition of the WPL will be played across Navi Mumbai and Vadodara, offering players from around the world an ideal platform to fine-tune their skills ahead of the T20 World Cup scheduled for June–July in England.

On paper, Mumbai Indians boast the most formidable squad. Alongside Harmanpreet, MI feature England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt and West Indies skipper Hayley Matthews, making them early favourites. With most of their core retained, MI’s batting depth is further strengthened by New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr, Australian youngster Milly Illingworth, and India’s reliable Amanjot Kaur.

The presence of multiple match-winners could also pose selection dilemmas for MI. G Kamalini at the top adds firepower, while Shabnim Ismail will spearhead a bowling attack that includes Saika Ishaque, who will be keen to rediscover her early WPL form after a challenging couple of seasons.

Delhi Capitals enter the tournament with renewed leadership after Meg Lanning’s move to UP Warriorz, placing Jemimah Rodrigues at the helm. Despite finishing runners-up in all three previous finals, Delhi possess a balanced squad capable of going all the way.

Their Indian core features World Cup winners Shafali Verma, Sneh Rana and Shree Charani, supported by emerging talents like Niki Prasad, Minnu Mani and pacer Nandani Sharma. The overseas contingent is equally strong, headlined by South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt, with Marizanne Kapp and Alana King forming the backbone of the bowling unit, although Annabel Sutherland’s absence slightly dents their firepower.

For RCB, much will depend on how Mandhana leads the side in the absence of Ellyse Perry. While Mandhana’s form is rarely questioned, the responsibility of anchoring the batting lineup will be key. Georgia Voll, Grace Harris and Nadine de Klerk offer support, while Richa Ghosh provides finishing firepower.

RCB’s bowling attack looks well-rounded with Arundhati Reddy, Pooja Vastrakar and England’s Lauren Bell leading the pace department, complemented by quality spin options in Linsey Smith, Radha Yadav and Shreyanka Patil.

Gujarat Giants, after reaching the playoffs last season, will aim to go a step further. However, Ashleigh Gardner’s side will rely heavily on their overseas stars due to the lack of established Indian batters. Renuka Singh Thakur remains the biggest Indian name, alongside Titas Sadhu and Rajeshwari Gayakwad, while Yastika Bhatia returns after injury.

Beth Mooney will open the innings and keep wickets, with Sophie Devine returning to the WPL fold. Kim Garth, Kashvee Gautam and Renuka will share new-ball duties, while spin responsibilities rest with Gardner, Georgia Wareham and Tanuja Kanwar.

UP Warriorz begin a new chapter under Meg Lanning after a complete squad overhaul. While Phoebe Litchfield offers flexibility at the top alongside Pratika Rawal or Kiran Navgire, the middle order featuring Lanning and Harleen Deol must deliver consistency.

The finishing duties may fall on a strong group of all-rounders, including Deepti Sharma, Chloe Tryon, Deandra Dottin and Shikha Pandey. With Sophie Ecclestone and Kranti Gaud leading the bowling attack, UP Warriorz will need to quickly find answers to key balance and combination questions.

As the WPL returns, the stakes are higher than ever, not just for franchise glory, but for World Cup momentum.

(By PTI Inputs)