It's a new season, and all five teams will start at the same position. Past performances don't have much bearing on the outcome in this format, as the team that makes a strong start and gains momentum along the way enjoys a good record. However, past performances do play in the player's mind. Most of the franchises have retained some of their players from the last season; hence, it will be a good idea to look at how the five teams have performed in the last two editions of the WPL.
# Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women
From being the butt of all jokes in 2023, where they suffered five consecutive losses, the RCB Women's team did what the men's team hasn't been able to achieve in the past 17 seasons of the IPL. They peaked at the right time after struggling with its consistency in the league stage. Smriti Mandhana likes leading from the front and will look to add another jewel to the crown this season. The side has a strong batting lineup and shall look to bank on it. Ellyse Perry, Richa Ghosh, Sophie Devine, Georgia Wareham, and Renuka Singh have a lot of experience and shall look to do well this season.
Squad: Smriti Mandhana (c), Ellyse Perry, Richa Ghosh, Sophie Devine, Renuka Singh, Shreyanka Patil, Georgia Wareham, Kanika Ahuja, Disha Kasat, Nadine de Klerk, Indrani Roy, Asha Shobana, S Meghna, Kate Cross, Ekta Bisht, Shubha Satheesh, Simran Bahad
# Delhi Capitals Women
They have been the most consistent team in the last two seasons. They have topped the points table in the league stage in both seasons but had to be content with finishing as runner-up. Meg Lanning would want to end these heartbreaks. The players have played well together in the last two seasons and have done well. Jemimah Rodrigues, Alice Capsey, Marizanne Kapp, Shafali Verma, Radha Yadav, and Shikha Pandey have been some of the most successful players in this tournament. They have the firepower with the bat and a strong bowling attack, giving them an edge.
Squad: Meg Lanning (c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Alice Capsey, Marizanne Kapp, Shafali Verma, Radha Yadav, Shikha Pandey, Taniyaa Bhatia, Jess Jonassen, Minnu Mani, Poonam Yadav, Sneha Deepthi, Aparna Mondal, Titas Sadhu, Ashwani Kumari, Nandini Kashyap, Sarah Bryce, Niki Prasad
# Mumbai Indians Women
The Mumbai Indians Women won the inaugural title in 2023 but failed to repeat their success last season, losing in the Eliminator. They are among the favourites to win this tournament and have a strong batting lineup and a bowling attack that can challenge any opponent. Harmanpreet Kaur likes leading from the front, and she looks forward to doing the same this season. Yastika Bhatia, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Hayley Matthews, Amelia Kerr, and Nadine de Klerk are big names in this format, and it will be interesting to see how the team fares this season.
Squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Yastika Bhatia, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Hayley Matthews, Amelia Kerr, Saika Ishaque, Pooja Vastrakar, Issy Wong, Chloe Tryon, Jintimani Kalita, Priyanka Bala, Sajeevan Sajana, Fatima Jaffer, Keerthana Balakrishnan, G Kamalini, Nadine de Klerk
# UP Warriorz
They finished 3rd in 2023 and dropped a place in 2024. Skipper Alyssa Healy and her players will look to come up with a better performance in the third season. Poor starts have been a problem for the team, and they must overcome this challenge. They have a strong batting lineup, and the side will look to bank on that. They have good players in the side and would like to see Deepti Sharma, Sophie Ecclestone, Tahlia McGrath, Chamari Athapaththu, Dani Wyatt, and Alana King maintain consistency throughout the season.
Squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Deepti Sharma, Sophie Ecclestone, Grace Harris, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Tahlia McGrath, Chamari Athapaththu, Laxmi Yadav, Parshavi Chopra, Anjali Sarvani, Shweta Sehrawat, Kiran Navgire, S Yashasri, Dani Wyatt, Vrinda Dinesh, Poonam Khenmar, Gouher Sultana, Alana King
# Gujarat Giants
The Gujarat Giants have finished at the bottom of the points table for two consecutive seasons. Despite having a strong group of players, they have failed to execute their plans. They managed to win only two out of their eight games last season. They started with four consecutive losses last year and never recovered. Beth Mooney is an experienced player, and she is looking to lead from the front this season. Consistency will be the key factor for the team this season, and they need players like Ashleigh Gardner, Dayalan Hemalatha, Harleen Deol, Sneh Rana, Kathryn Bryce, and Veda Krishnamurthy.
Squad: Beth Mooney (c), Ashleigh Gardner, Dayalan Hemalatha, Harleen Deol, Sneh Rana, Tanuja Kanwer, Meghna Singh, Trisha Poojitha, Kashvee Gautam, Priya Mishra, Lauren Cheatle, Kathryn Bryce, Mannat Kashyap, Tarannum Pathan, Veda Krishnamurthy, Simran Shaikh, Deandra Dottin
Women's cricket has experienced a meteoric rise in recent years. The success of tournaments like the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) and The Hundred Women's Competition in England has paved the way for more franchise-based competitions worldwide. Other tournaments like the Super Smash Women and the Women's Caribbean Premier League have opened more opportunities for women cricketers. However, the Indians were late to join the bandwagon, but they did it in style with the Women's Premier League.
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