Women’s IPL 2020: Velocity vs Trailblazers – Team Preview, Probable XI, Where to watch, Pitch Report

The first match of the Women’s T20 Challenge yesterday was a low scoring thriller with the South African Sune Luus taking Velocity home with some clean striking late in the match. For the second match of the tournament the Mithali Raj led Velocity takes on the Smriti Mandhana led Trailblazers at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium today afternoon.

The previous meetings between both these team was a match for ages as Velocity somehow managed to chase 113 with three wickets in hand. However, that was a year back, though the win would give Velocity a psychological advantage Trailblazers would be vary of the fact how they scalped five wickets for no run causing panic in the Velocity

dugout.

Match Details

Who? Velocity v/s Trailblazers

Time: 3:30pm IST

Where? Sharjah Cricket Stadium

Pitch Report

The pitch is expected to play slow as it did in yesterday’s match. There won’t be much dew as it’s a day game and so expect the team winning the toss to bat first. Any score around 150 might be a defendable total.

Team News

Velocity: Though they won the match yesterday, there is a lot to improve for the Mithali Raj led team. Their bowling department was up to the task and chipped in with wickets at regular intervals. It’s the batting at the top order which might be their concern yet again. The main drawback for them though would be the fact that they haven’t got even

24 hours of rest and the players might be a bit drained.

Strengths: The bowlers look in fantastic touch with almost everyone getting their name in the wickets column. The form of Sune Luus and Sushma Verma’s contribution with the bat would give them great confidence going in to the match.

Weakness: It is hard to pinpoint a weakness in this Velocity team, though they would like a bit more from their top three. They might want one of Shafali Verma or Danielle Wyatt to drop the anchor and the other one to attack and score freely during the powerplay. Mithali Raj’s strike rate remains a concern, but the kind of hitters they have in the team they are more than capable to make up for it.

Full Squad: Mithali Raj (captain) Veda Krishnamurthy (VC), Shafali Verma, Sushma Verma (WK), Ekta Bisht, Meghna Joshi, Shikha Pandey, Devika Vaidya, Sushree Dibyadarshini, Manali Dakshini, Leigh Kasperek, Danielle Wyatt, Suné Luus, Jahanara

Alam, M. Anagha.

Expected XI: Such tournaments where you play just two-three matches doesn’t allow the team to make a lot of changes and with the win yesterday it is unlikely that Velocity make any changes. But with Manali Dakshini’s performance not inspiring much confidence coupled with the slow pitch might them to give Devika Vaidya a shot.

Shafali Verma, Danielle Wyatt, Mithali Raj (c), Veda Krishnamurthy, Sushma Verma, Sune Luus, Shikha Pandey, Devika Vaidya/Manali Dakshini, Leigh Kasperek, Ekta Bisht, Jahanara Alam.

Trailblazers: The fact that Trailblazers start as the underdogs must not surprise anyone as the Smriti Mandhana led team has won just one match in the previous two editions of the Women’s T20 Challenge. The team as such looks highly depended on the skipper Mandhana to provide them with a strong start the top of the order. The middle order seems to be lacking the firepower despite the presence of Deandra Dottin. On the bowling front, Trailblazers are well equipped in the spin department with Sophie Ecclestone, Salma Khatun, Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Deepti Sharma. The pace bowling department looks to be highly dependent on the experienced Jhulan Goswami.

Strengths: Their biggest strength lies in their spin bowling department and with the pitches at Sharjah expected to play slow, the likes of Ecclestone, Khatun and Gayakwad need to come to the party. If they struggle to pick up wickets and stem the run flow, Trailblazers might struggle.

Weakness: The team lacks firepower in the middle order; add to that their inexperience, the batting order looks fragile. The onus would be on Smriti Mandhana to bat for as long as possible and Deandra Dottin to come up with the big hits under pressure.

Full Squad: Smriti Mandhana (captain), Deepti Sharma (VC), Punam Raut, Richa Ghosh, D. Hemalatha, Nuzhat Parween (WK), Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Harleen Deol, Jhulan Goswami, Simaran Dil Bahadur, Salma Khatun, Sophie Ecclestone, Natthakan Chantham, Deandra Dottin, Kashvee Gautam.

Expected XI: The Trailblazers are expected to pair Punam Raut with Smriti Mandhana to open the innings. They would be followed by Richa Ghosh, Harleen Deol, Deandra Dottin and Deepti Sharma with Nuzhat Parween behind the stumps. The bowling depart would be led by Jhulan Goswami with three spinners in Sophie Ecclestone, Salma Khatun and Rajeshwari Gayakwad. Either one of Kashvee Gautam or Natthakan Chantham might play as the second seamer.

Smriti Mandhana (c), Punam Raut, Richa Ghosh, Harleen Deol, Nuzhat Parween (wk), Deandra Dottin, Deepti Sharma, Jhulan Goswami, Sophie Ecclestone, Salma Khatun, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Kashvee Gautam/Natthakan Chanthman.

Where to watch?

The matches will be broadcasted in the Star Sports network on TV and can also be streamed online on Disney + Hotstar, if you have the subscription.

Also read - Women’s IPL 2020: 5 foreign players to watch out for