WPL 2023 team analysis: Lanning-led Delhi Capitals ready to create history

The Women’s Premier League )WPL) is finally here and the inaugural season would begin on March 04, 2023. The five teams are Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Giants, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore and UP Warriorz. We take a look at all teams' strengths and weaknesses and what could make them win the title. The first team is Delhi Capitals.

Delhi Capitals Squad for WPL 2023

Meg Lanning, Alice Capsey, Shikha Pandey, Jess Jonassen, Laura Harris, Radha Yadav, Minnu Mani, Taniya Bhatia, Poonam Yadav, Sneha Deepthi, Arundhati Reddy, Titas Sadhu, Jasia Akhter, Tara Norris, Aparna Mondal, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Marizanne Kapp

Probable Playing 11

Alice Capsey, Shafali Verma, Meg Lanning (c), Jemimah Rodriguez, Marizanne Kapp, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Shikha Pandey, Radha Yadav, Poonam Yadav, Jess Jonassen, Titas Sadhu

Strengths: Presence of world-renowned batters in the lineup

The strength of the Capitals is their batting unit with the presence of the likes of Alice Capsey, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodriguez and Meg Lanning. All of them are proven talents with the bat in the shortest format and thus make a good case for themselves in the top order. 

Marizanne Kapp and Shikha Pandey alongside Taniya Bhatia could be late-order bloomers with the bat, though Kapp is a world-renowned hitter of the cricket ball. 

Weaknesses: Highly dependent upon few players in bowling

The Capitals' bowling lineup looks a bit weak in the sense that they are dependent upon the spin trio of Radha Yadav, Jess Jonassesn and Poonam Yadav, none of whom are considered great in the shortest format of the game. The pace bowlers in the form of Under-19-star Titas Sadhu, Shikha Pandey and Marizanne Kapp are formidable no doubt. But none so far could be considered match-winners.  

What could win them the league?

For Delhi Capitals to win the WPL, their bowling lineup must click. Apart from that Shafali Verma giving 30-40 quick runs at the top and the likes of Rodriguez and Meg Lanning capitalising on it and Kapp finishing the innings would make it a perfect game for the team.