The taste of defeat is never sweet, and in our last game, we experienced that when we went down to the UP Warriorz, albeit after putting up a strong fight. Our first defeat and hopefully the last in this WPL. Hopefully, that bitter taste of loss may have sweetened in our camp as we celebrated the birthday of one of the most valuable players in this WPL, Hayley Matthews, on March 19.

Marching towards the business end of the tournament, every game will be important for us. Though we have qualified for the playoffs, we cannot be complacent and sit on our laurels. Momentum is a big thing in cricket, and you don’t want to let it slip from under your nose.

We may have gotten the better of them in our last meeting, but the Capitals’ challenge will certainly not be a walk in the park. Their star-studded batting lineup is bolstered by Meg Lanning, Shafali Verma, Alice Capsey, Jemimah Rodrigues, Marizanne Kapp, and Jess Jonassen…..Hush! They bat incredibly deep. Besides, they have been lethal with the ball too.

Hey, but not to worry, Paltan! We have comprehensively beaten them in the past by eight wickets and 30 balls to spare, so we will certainly carry a lot of confidence in taking on them again. The onus will again be on Hayley-Yastika to give us a quick start and then onto Nat, Harman, and Amelia to do what they do best – pile on as many runs as possible with their aggressive strokeplay. After a couple of quiet outings, Saika, who’ll be super keen on keeping the Purple Cap firmly on her head, will be itching to be among the wickets again. 

At the end of the day, all we need is to bat well, bowl tight, and most importantly, hold on to our catches!

What to expect: Harman to win the toss! आपली कर्णधार may have called the wrong shots at the spin of the coin, but she has definitely hit the right note otherwise. On a serious note, expect a feisty contest between the number one and two sides in the competition. While we would look to return to our winning ways, Delhi will fight their hearts out after having suffered an unexpected defeat in their previous encounter. 

Where: DY Patil Cricket Stadium, Mumbai

When: March 20, 2023 - 7.30 PM IST

What you need to do: Reminisce our first five games and consciously try to forget our sixth. Also, pray a bit extra; we need it this time to take on arguably the most formidable team in the competition to make that coveted first spot ours.

It’s Meg v Harman again, Paltan! The T20 World Cup semi-final is surely still fresh..