Lanning returns to face a team she led to three WPL finals

Winless in two games, Delhi Capitals and UP Warriorz will both be desperate to open their account when they face off on Wednesday in a crucial league encounter.

Delhi's losses have been polar opposites. They were blown away by Mumbai Indians by 50 runs in their season opener, then fell just four runs short in a massive 209-run chase against Gujarat Giants. DC have shown flashes of brilliance but lacked consistency. Their new-look top-order struggled to convert starts, and a continuing concern is the lack of runs from both new captain Jemimah Rodrigues and star opener Shafali Verma.

Their overseas batters, the South African duo of Lizelle Lee and Laura Wolvaardt, nearly carried them through against a record target. The batting needs to click as a collective unit. They have unearthed a new bowling gem in Nandni Sharma, who became only the second Indian in the league to claim a WPL hat-trick and registered a fifer in the same game.

UP Warriorz gave Gujarat Giants' 200+ target a good chase but fell short by 10 runs. A subsequent batting collapse of 5 for 29 in four overs cost them against RCB. In two games, UPW have already tested two different opening partners for skipper Meg Lanning. Their bowling attack has also come under scrutiny after conceding heavy runs.

With both teams eager to avoid slipping further behind, expect a high-intensity contest.

When: Wednesday, January 14 at 7:30 PM IST

Where: DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai

What to expect: With heavy dew, chasing remains the preferred choice. Conditions are suitable for another high-scoring game.

Delhi Capitals: DC have stuck with their XI despite defeats. Sneh Rana has proved expensive but there isn't an obvious alternative on the bench.

Probable XI: Lizelle Lee (wk), Shafali Verma, Laura Wolvaardt, Jemimah Rodrigues (c), Marizanne Kapp, Niki Prasad, Chinelle Henry, Sneh Rana, Minnu Mani, Nandni Sharma, Shree Charani

UP Warriorz: UPW have fielded their strongest XI so far and would likely back it again.

Probable XI: Kiran Navgire, Meg Lanning (c), Phoebe Litchfield, Harleen Deol, Deandra Dottin, Deepti Sharma, Shweta Sehrawat (wk), Sophie Ecclestone, Shikha Pandey, Asha Sobhana, Kranti Gaud