WPL 2025 Fina, MI vs DC: Harmanpreet Kaur said that Mumbai Indians have knowledge of the conditions at the Brabourne Stadium and will be looking to make use of them in the summit clash against the Delhi Capitals on Saturday.
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00:00I think it's all about how, you know, all the team players are thinking and how the
00:06conditions are.
00:07So accordingly, you know, we are making the plan and going about it.
00:10But yeah, I think whatever is, you know, we are getting, we are very, very much comfortable
00:15as a team.
00:16We never thought too much about winning the toss and, you know, putting too much pressure
00:20if we win the toss, what we are doing.
00:22So I think the best thing about our team, we are pretty much comfortable whatever is
00:26coming and just going there and enjoying our cricket.
00:30Yeah, very, very similar.
00:31You know, there's a few different things that go into that decision making, I guess, you
00:36know, the opposition that you are coming up against.
00:39But mainly it's about what your strengths are and backing that in.
00:41And throughout the tournament, we've done both.
00:44We feel like we've had a good crack at both of them and done well.
00:47And regardless of what you do first, you know, in a final, you need to do that really well.
00:54So we're not too bothered what we do first.
00:56So I think the conditions seem to be pretty similar throughout the match.
01:01And yeah, as I said, and as Harman said, it's just about doing as well as you can in that
01:05first innings, whatever it is, and then backing yourself in.
01:08Question is for Meg.
01:09Meg, two finals, you've lost both.
01:10But it's just one game.
01:11So yeah, just the difference between a league game and a final, what sort of pressure is
01:12there during a final?
01:13And also, if you could speak on Shefali, she's had a very good season.
01:14She was coming in with a bit of pressure.
01:15She's had a very good season.
01:16She's had a very good season.
01:17She's had a very good season.
01:18She's had a very good season.
01:19She's had a very good season.
01:20She's had a very good season.
01:21She's had a very good season.
01:23it being with Shefali the way that she has performed?
01:31Yeah, in terms of the final, obviously there is a lot more on the line than a round game.
01:36So it is difficult, but it's also an exciting opportunity, and we've just been focusing
01:43on what we can do this year.
01:46and playing to our strengths, backing ourselves in.
01:49and I think throughout the whole year we've had different people step up at different times.
01:53You know, I don't feel like we rely on one or two players and that gives us a lot of confidence
01:57heading into tomorrow's game that no matter whose night it is that we'll be able to deliver
02:02and really put Mumbai under pressure. So we're just focusing on that this year. It's about the
02:08game tomorrow night. It's really irrelevant what's happened in the past, even what's happened in the
02:12round games this year. They don't count for anything. It's about performing tomorrow night
02:17and we're excited about the opportunity that we've given ourselves to go out there and play
02:21our best game for the tournament which is a really exciting chance for us. And in terms of Shefali,
02:28yeah she's been excellent for us. Really got us off to some really nice starts with the bat.
02:32She looks like she's been really enjoying her cricket. A big smile on her face a lot of the
02:36time which is always a good sign I think. She's a very important part of our team
02:41on and off the field and I've really loved seeing her do well and no doubt she's got another big
02:46innings in her if it's more or not. I have a question for both the captains. Harman,
02:52fourth game in six days for your team. Has that helped carry the momentum, get in that sort of
03:00rhythm? Is it an advantage or a disadvantage that you're playing so much cricket just before the
03:05final? Does it help you get into the rhythm or does it result in exhaustion? I think I'll take
03:12it in the positive way because as tomorrow we're going to play final on the same pitch,
03:17same ground. We know the conditions really well. We played three games in four days and
03:25we know what area to bowl, how to bat and which overs to execute yourself in the better way and
03:32which overs just take care of. Don't lose too many wickets. I think
03:43day by day we have seen that improvement. We enjoyed all three matches and tomorrow is
03:49an important match and everybody is looking forward to that. Harman just said that having
03:55played three games in four days already gave them an idea about where to bowl, when to bowl,
04:02what overs to attack and what overs to hold back. For you, it's been a week off for DC.
04:09A much needed break, I'm sure, but also a week off and no practical games here
04:14unless you're counting back to the first season. Advantage or disadvantage? How do you see that?
04:21It is what it is. We had a busy period there towards the back end of the tournament so it's
04:25been nice to be able to refresh ourselves and sit back and see how the tournament played out.
04:31I feel like we're in a really nice position to attack tomorrow night. We've got lots of energy
04:35within the group and as I said before, we're really excited about the opportunity that we've
04:41given ourselves to go out there and play our best game. In terms of the conditions, we've been
04:45watching the games on TV so you guys feel us in on what the conditions are doing and that sort of
04:50stuff. We've trained out here as well and a lot of players have played here before so that's
04:55certainly not an issue for us. Like any game and any ground that you go to, you need to assess what
05:00the conditions are and adjust accordingly and that's no different for us tomorrow night.
05:05Certainly, we feel like we're in a really good spot heading into tomorrow night and
05:09giving ourselves the best chance to go out there and play well.
05:14One question please for the captains. Your own form has been great.
05:20You've had explosive starts starting off the three-month strike and we're looking at the
05:24Harman we used to see in mid-20s, a big bash in 2017. What have you done behind the scenes
05:31leading into this double period in 2025?
05:39I think it's only about backing yourself because if I talk about the team, we have a very long
05:45batting lineup. We try to add a few young Indian batters who can bat in the death over. So I think
05:52that gives us confidence that I don't need to wait for the time. I need to spend some time,
05:58try to rotate and then when the right time comes, I can go for big shots.
06:06Mentally, there's a support that we have batters who can bat, especially the way Aman Choudhary is
06:11batting. When we shifted the batting order, Jastika was there. She batted really well in
06:18the middle over. So there's a support in the mind and we know that if something goes here and there,
06:25we have batters who can cover up for the team. So I think that gives us the
06:29leverage to just go there and play free cricket.
06:36Ahead of the third game of the season, a WPL broadcaster who also happens to be the former
06:42India head coach made a public statement in the form of a tweet saying that a certain Meg Lanning,
06:48given her expertise and the way she has gotten along with the Indian players at WPL,
06:53should be roped in as a mentor ahead of the ICC Women's 2025 World Cup.
06:59Should you be given the opportunity? Is that something you are open to exploring?
07:07Yeah, I did see that but it's not something I've given a lot of thought to. I've been focusing my
07:12energy on working with the Delhi Capitals team and it's a team that I've really enjoyed working
07:18with. The younger players are very receptive, they want to learn, they ask questions and that's
07:24always exciting for me, I guess, to be able to pass on some of my knowledge and experience to
07:29try and help us win as much as we can but also improve them as players and people. So it's
07:34something I've enjoyed doing while I've been over here with Delhi. I think it's important as a
07:39player who's had that experience that you do pass on that knowledge and help the next crew coming
07:45through. So yeah, but I haven't given too much thought to anything past that, just trying to
07:50focus on what I'm doing here with Delhi and we'll see what happens down the track.
07:56Make two finals, what lessons can you learn from that and cross the line?
08:02Yeah, I mean finals are about doing the basics really well and backing your strengths in and
08:08throughout the season we've had a lot of strengths. We feel like we've got some
08:11really good depth within our side, we've got all bases covered in terms of
08:16batting, getting off to a good start but also building partnerships through the
08:20middle and with the ball we've got a number of options as well. So that's really all we've
08:24focused on is coming into this game, backing ourselves in our strengths and really sticking
08:30to that as long as we possibly can. Because from my experience in finals, the team that does that
08:35is the team that's going to win. So we feel very confident that if we do that, that'll give us a
08:39good shot. How much is it mental compared to physical skillset? Cricket has a very significant
08:48mental side to it, whether you're playing any game or any format and tomorrow will be no different.
08:55But at the end of the day, it is still a cricket game. We've played a lot of cricket games in our
08:59time and as I said, it's about doing the basics and the simple things really, really well and
09:04over and over again. So I think if we can do that and just stay really calm and
09:09composed when the pressure comes, then as I said, that'll give us a good shot at getting the result
09:15that we want. I have a question for both captains. Harman, I'll start with you. Three years are done
09:22with the WPL. We'll finish tomorrow when the final is officially over. A lot of the incentive behind
09:27the WPL was to help domestic cricketers and basically talent come up and have that level
09:32match, the kind of competitiveness that's there in the international scene. You are the India
09:36captain. I'm sure that also works on your mind half the time when you watch people play and you
09:40watch some of these youngsters coming up. How have you just assessed how that's developed over the
09:44last three years, particularly in this season? This season, we have seen a lot of domestic
09:51cricketers. They've been doing well and other teams also. I think they worked really hard to
09:58pick those players because in the first season, I personally felt we missed out so many good
10:02cricketers. But I think in the last two years, all the franchises, they tried to pick the girls who
10:09can really take this opportunity. Because at the end of the day, this cricket is not easy. Whether
10:16we are playing elite cricket, but still so many tough games are going on. So we need people who
10:22can take that mentally and play good cricket. I think this year, all the teams, they worked really
10:28hard to pick good cricketers. That's why every game is going so well. I think only one or two
10:35games where we have seen matches going one-sided. But otherwise, all the games, we have seen every
10:42match was going to the last over. So I think that shows teams really worked hard to pick good
10:49talent from the domestic. So I'm really happy that people really worked hard to pick those
10:53domestic cricketers and they're doing also well. I think next six months are very important for us
10:59and hopefully, we'll try to pick all that talent who did well in this tournament and make a good
11:07international team. Thank you. The last couple of years have been very interesting for you as well
11:13because you retired. You were very open about just what went behind that as well. As a batter,
11:18how has life changed for you? Because you seem to be, Shafali was talking about this a few days
11:21back when she said, when things don't work for her and she goes back and trains, we don't have
11:25a reason to slack off if she's going to go and work that hard. Just what does that look like for
11:29you? Because there are a lot of moments when we finally see you can be human as well when certain
11:33things don't go your way. So just how has that experience been for you over the last three years
11:37in India perhaps? Yeah, I mean, I've thoroughly enjoyed being part of the WPL and the Delhi
11:42Capitals. It's an incredible competition and it's unique in a lot of ways. But what hasn't
11:49changed for me is how competitive I am and how much I want to win. So that's never left me
11:55regardless of what game I'm playing or which team I'm playing for. I want to contribute and make as
12:00many runs as I can to help the team win. So I guess from that perspective, that has been no
12:05different for me over the past three years and just trying to work out what it is I need to do
12:10to do that. This year has been a little bit up and down, but I think that's T20 cricket for you.
12:16Some days it works, some days it doesn't. But it's always not too far away and you've just got to try
12:21and know that you can make an impact in the next game coming up regardless of what's happened
12:26previously. So that's the important part of T20 cricket, I think, is just looking to impact the
12:32game that you're playing next. And as I said, I'm very competitive and want to win and try and help
12:38the team that I'm playing for. A question for both the captains. Harman ma'am, first you. You
12:45have played in this condition. This will be your fourth game in six days and you know the conditions
12:51very well. So how important will be winning the toss here tomorrow? Well, as I mentioned earlier,
12:58as a team we are not putting too much pressure on winning the toss and thinking what we have to do.
13:04I think our team is very balanced and we are pretty much comfortable doing
13:10whatever comes in our way. I think it's only about, as Meg said, at this type of stage
13:18when you are in the final, you just need to play good cricket and just thinking about what you're
13:22doing first or second. I think same thing for us. We are not thinking too much. At the same time,
13:26we are just thinking we have to keep enjoying our cricket because that's what always gives us
13:33good results and tomorrow will remain the same for us. We are not thinking too much about what
13:37we want to do first or second. It's only about, you know, whatever opportunity is coming your way,
13:42we have to just grab it with both the hands. A follow up to that, you had changed your opening
13:47pair yesterday as well, bringing back Yastika Bhatia. Is this because of a brief exploits down
13:53the order or is there a lack of depth in the opening pair? What is the mindset around that?
13:59I think for Yastika, this kind of condition suits really well because the kind of bat,
14:03you know, the way she bats, I think this red soil pitch has always given her a lot of runs. I think
14:09that was the biggest reason we wanted to bring her back to the opening pair, I think. She gave
14:14us a good start. She gave us that, you know, what we were expecting from her. I think she's looking
14:19really good and I'm sure, you know, this pitch will definitely suit her and she will definitely
14:25give us a good start if we, you know, give her one more chance. Ma'am, you haven't played at
14:34this condition till now and don't think you have practiced too much here as well. You have a weak
14:39cap. You have had a weak cap. So, how do you come into this game? What mindset is it? Because
14:46Mumbai has already played three games here. What kind of mindset do you bring into this final?
14:51And secondly, how important will be the opening pair of you and Shefali Verma tomorrow for this
14:57final? Yeah, I mean, we've played a lot of cricket here sort of over the last couple of years and a
15:04lot of our players have played a lot of cricket here. We've trained here twice. So, we understand
15:07what the conditions are. So, that's not anything that we've really discussed. We've had a good
15:12couple of days off to refresh. This tournament can be quite draining mentally as well as physically.
15:17So, I think that puts us in a really nice spot to be able to come out and play our best cricket
15:21tomorrow and, you know, we've both said it's all about what happens tomorrow night. You know,
15:26the other games or how fresh one team is or how tired one team is, is irrelevant. It's a final.
15:32Everybody will have the same energy and want to win and it's about what happens tomorrow night
15:37and that's what we're looking forward to, you know, trying to put our best performance out
15:41there for the tournament and we've given ourselves a chance to be able to do that.
15:46In terms of the opening partnership, I think we've seen throughout the tournament that
15:50when teams get off to a good start with the bat, it makes it very difficult for other teams to peg
15:56them back. You know, our approach in the power play is very similar to everybody else's is put
16:01the opposition under pressure and try and get our team sort of ahead of the game, I guess. So,
16:06that's the approach we've had all season and that's the same approach that myself
16:09and Shefali will have tomorrow night. Last two questions.
16:16Mike, we've spoken about the Mumbai wicketkeeper batter. I want to ask you about your wicketkeeper
16:20batter. I remember asking you at the start of the season, you and Jamie, at that point,
16:24obviously, you've not had a deeper look at Sara Price, who just joined the team.
16:28Now that you've spent, you know, considerable time with her on and off the field, in the slips,
16:33in the nets, everywhere, you know, what does, what has she brought to the table exactly,
16:39you know, that we saw her edge out the two Indian wicketkeepers in your squad to that position?
16:45Yeah, Price has been excellent for our group. She's a great person to have around, very chilled,
16:50you know, very easy to get along with and she's fitted in really nicely to our
16:54group. And on the field, I think she's been great as well. She's had sort of
16:57limited opportunities with the bat, but when she's come in, she's really played a
17:04significant role for us. And T20 cricket is about having an impact and it might be one ball,
17:09it might be 10 balls and she's been able to do that for our team. So, I think behind the
17:14slumps, she's been very tidy and taken the opportunities that she's been presented with. So,
17:19you know, I'm sure tomorrow if she gets the chance with the battle of gloves that she'll
17:23be able to do the job. Question is to Harman. Harman, Hailey Matthews is the leading wicket
17:30taker this season and two years back. So, just, matlab, it's quite rare, she holds a lot of the
17:35tough overs and it's quite rare that an off spinner is so effective in this format, whether it's
17:40powerplay. So, what makes her so good and what sort of confidence do you have in her?
17:45Well, she's someone who's always, you know, want to ball for the team. She's someone even,
17:50you know, we want to start with a smile, but she's always, you know, want to take the first
17:54over. So, I think someone who is so excited to ball all the time, I think that person,
18:00just imagine how confident she is. And she's someone who understands the conditions really
18:03well and I think over the time she understood what are best deliveries for these kind of pitches
18:12and I think that's giving her a lot of confidence to do well for the team and that is the reason
18:16she's been, you know, taking wickets in every game for us.