One year done. One day left. It’s time to defend our crown. So how’s this WPL any different from last year? How’s Mumbai Indians any different from last year? What’s new? What’s the same? What’s more? What’s less? We have you covered ..

Woah, it’s been a year already?

Well, as much as Harmanpreet Kaur lifting the WPL trophy on that magical night at the Brabourne Stadium feels like just yesterday, yes, it’s been a year. It’s time to make some more history.

Please, let’s relive season 1 again?

‘Champion, Champion’

The Purple Cap winner, three of the top five wicket-takers, three of the top five run-scorers, and obviously a trophy at the end of it to boast of, it was a dream campaign for the Mumbai Indians. Our five all-rounders – Hayley Matthews, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amelia Kerr, Issy Wong, and of course, Kaptaan Kaur who lead like a warrior from the front, just made us a near-unbeatable machine.

We won the first six games in a row, and rode on the back of Nat’s brilliance in the Eliminator and the Final, beating UP Warriorz and Delhi Capitals respectively, to grab the crown!   

Super, when’s it starting? Whom are we playing first?

Okay, so here’s how MI’s schedule goes – we kick off the WPL with a replay of the 2023 final against the Delhi Capitals on Friday (February 23). The 24-day event will culminate with the Final on March 17.  

How’s the format? What are the rules for qualification?

The format is the same as last year’s. Each team plays each other twice (22 league games), followed by the team finishing at the top of the table getting a direct qualification for the Final, and the teams finishing second and third battling it out in an Eliminator. Each team is allowed a maximum of five overseas players, provided one player is from an Associate nation. Else, a maximum of four overseas players can be a part of the playing XI.

Sounds similar. What’s different then?

The venues. The entire tournament in 2023 was played across two venues in Mumbai, but this year, the first leg is set to be played at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, followed by the reverse fixtures in the second leg and the play-offs at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi. Also, there are no double-headers, with all matches starting at 7:30pm IST.

Okay, I’m already excited. Tell me about the new recruits at Mumbai Indians

We have five. The South African pace ace, Shabnim Ismail, Fatima Jaffer, who switches effortlessly from bowling left-arm spin and right-arm medium pace, Amandeep Kaur, who bowls both left-arm orthodox and left-arm wrist spin, and S Sajana and Keerthana Balakrishnan, who are coming off superb stints in the domestic circuit.

If I’m not wrong, you could choose the playing XI after the toss and have an impact as well right?

No, no. Don’t confuse the IPL with the WPL. It’s a common trait though, this confusion. The WPL playing rules are still conventional. The playing XI is decided before the toss, and there’s no impact player. Don’t worry, we can play around with these permutations in just over a month!

Quick, how do I block my calendar?

23^rd February 2024 | Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals [Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru]

25^th February 2024 | Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians [Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru]

28^th February 2024 | Mumbai Indians vs UP Warriorz [Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru]

2^nd March 2024 | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians [Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru]

5^th March 2024 | Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians [Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi]

7^th March 2024 | UP Warriorz vs Mumbai Indians [Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi]

9^th March 2024 | Mumbai Indians vs Gujarat Giants [Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi]

12^th March 2024 | Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore [Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi]

15^th March 2024 | Eliminator [Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi]

17^th March 2024 | Final [Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi]