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Former India cricketer Saba Karim believes that Delhi Capitals (DC) are "strong contenders" for the title of the Women's Premier League (WPL) second season.
Delhi fell short in the inaugural season of the WPL, as they had a solid campaign with a well-rounded squad but ended up on the losing side in the final against Mumbai Indians. Ahead of the second season which will kick off on February 23 with the last year's finalists competing in the opening match, Delhi will be looking to make amends for their last year's failure. They tried to get a balanced squad with the acquisition of Australian all-rounder Annabel Sutherland for a whooping sum of Rs 2 crore. "DC are a stronger team this time. They generally look for balance in their side. But this time, they entered into a bidding war for Annabel Sutherland and have a clear strategy in place. I am trying to figure out whom they will replace to accommodate Sutherland in the playing XI. She has a lot of talent and is young," Karim said on Sports18. "But DC feel the conditions in which the matches will be played will help Sutherland excel. DC will be strong contenders and were unlucky not to cross the final hurdle last time," he added. On the other hand, Tamil Nadu cricketer Abhinav Mukund feels that Delhi has the perfect mix of batters with in-form bowlers. "Delhi Capitals are a solid team. They have got two of the most promising young Indian players in Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues and also arguably the best international cricketer in Meg Lanning. Then, they have Marizanne Kapp and Alice Capsey. Add Annabel Sutherland to the mix now. All their bowlers are in form. Jess Jonassen is doing well, unfortunately she may have to sit out. So, it's just a matter of how they fit in," Mukund said. Delhi will be led by former Australia skipper Meg Lanning who is one of the most decorated captains in the history of women's cricket. Lanning is currently featuring in domestic cricket and Mukung is hopeful that she comes into the tournament with the right mindset. "The extraordinary leadership skills of Lanning also may come into play. I just hope that Lanning comes back to the Delhi Capitals in the right mind space. She took a personal break recently. She wanted an allrounder and that's what she's got now (in Sutherland)," Mukund added. Delhi Capitals full squad for WPL 2024 Overseas Players: Meg Lanning (C), Jess Jonassen, Marizanne Kapp, Alice Capsey, Laura Harris and Annabel Sutherland Indian Players: Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Shikha Pandey, Poonam Yadav, Radha Yadav, Arundhati Reddy, Taniyaa Bhatia, Minnu Mani, Sneha Deepthi, Titas Sadhu, Aparna Mondal, Ashwani Kumari. (ANI)
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