New Delhi, Feb 10 (IANS) Charlotte Edwards, the head coach of Mumbi Indians Women who won the inaugural edition of Women’s Premier League (WPL), said the coaching staff has put a lot of emphasis into getting players trained for various match scenarios they will encounter in the upcoming season of the tournament starting on February 14.
Mumbai Indians, captained by India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, became the first-ever WPL champions in 2023. But the next year, they didn’t enter the final after losing to eventual winners Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Eliminator clash in New Delhi.
In preparation for the 2025 season, MI have been practising earnestly at a training facility in Navi Mumbai for the last six days, starting with their Indian players and then the overseas contingent joining in.
“It’s been a brilliant few days. Initially having a lot of the Indian domestic players, we as a coaching team have been able to dedicate a lot of time to them. A lot of our focus in training has also been around match scenarios, so we have put them in a number of scenarios that we feel they will be put in during the WPL. Hopefully, that has given them a real insight into where they are at the moment,” said the MI coach.
“We have tried to change the arch, give them highest scores, lowest scores – it’s been really good and I have been so impressed with where the group are at. If you think back to two years ago, and now where they are in terms of their match awareness and tactical awareness, it’s on a different level,” said Charlotte in an update issued by the franchise on Monday.
Mumbai Indians will play their first WPL 2025 game against the Delhi Capitals on February 15 in Vadodara. The franchise had roped in wicketkeeper-batter G. Kamalini, and all-rounders Nadine de Klerk, Akshita Maheshwari, and Sanskriti Gupta in the auction ahead of the 2025 WPL season.
While most of their Indian players joined the camp in the first few days, the South African trio of Shabnim Ismail, Chloe Tryon, and Nadine de Klerk joined their first practice session on Sunday.
Last season, Shabnim bowled the fastest delivery ever recorded in women’s cricket, clocking 132.1km/h, and also notched up the most number of dot balls (97) in the WPL last season.
Mumbai Indians will start their campaign in WPL 2025 against Delhi Capitals at the Vadodara International Cricket Stadium in Vadodara on February 15.
–IANS
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