The Mumbai Indians (MI) have already qualified for the first season playoffs of the Women’s Premier League (WPL). The Harmanpreet Kaur-led team has been the outstanding franchise in the first WPL. They are the only undefeated team in the competition, having won all five games and sitting atop the points table.
Former Indian cricketer Venkatesh Prasad believes the gap between MI’s last league game on March 21 and the final would be a struggle. MI Ladies, according to the seasoned pacer, will want to keep playing in order to maintain their winning streak.
“They have a 4-5 day break before the final. Who knows, maybe that’s where things go wrong. The momentum has shifted. I’m not sure how they’re going to keep going. When you’re playing well as a team, you’ll always want to play the next game,” Prasad added.
“When suddenly after the final league game on 21st, they don’t have any matches until 26th, that’s roughly 4-5 days, that’s when their character will be tried. What talks they will have and how they will ensure that they remain together as a team. And how they manage to take a rest from such a demanding event while still being prepared for the final,” he continued.
When questioned about Mumbai Indians’ supremacy in the WPL, Venkatesh Prasad said that they were challenged in their most recent encounter against Gujarat Giants (GG). The 53-year-old went on to say that the Giants had a chance to win the game but didn’t. He did, however, applaud MI, adding that they still had momentum.
“They were challenged in one game, against the Gujarat Giants. Gujarat went down to the middle and lower order, limiting the Mumbai Indians (MI) to 162. “They had a terrific chance to win the game against MI, but their batting failed,” Prasad added.
“The Mumbai Indians have gained momentum. Every team plays practically every day or every other day. In that sense, the Mumbai Indians are capable of maintaining the momentum. They’ve never experienced a lull in their momentum,” he said.
Mumbai Indians defeated Gujarat Giants by 55 runs in their most recent encounter at Mumbai’s Brabourne Stadium. On Saturday, March 18, they will face UP Warriorz at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai.
