DC vs UPW Match Prediction: Who will win today's WPL 2024 match?

Both the Delhi Capitals (DC) and the UP Warriorz (UPW) were in a situation where their first game of the 2024 Women's Premier League (WPL) came down to five runs off one ball.

Both teams ended up on the wrong side of the result, meaning that they will look for their first win when they lock horns at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Monday, February 26.

Alice Capsey floated one up to S Sajana, who hammered it over the long-on boundary to secure a famous win for the Mumbai Indians (MI). Meanwhile, at the same venue a day later, Deepti Sharma failed to clear the boundary off the last ball to hand the Royal Challengers Bangalore the victory.

Both DC and UPW were very close to getting off the mark in WPL 2024 and have proven that they have what it takes to challenge the two best teams in the competition, RCB and MI, who are unbeaten. It might be early in the season, but a win on Monday would go a long way.

The Capitals have a spotless head-to-head record against the Warriorz, winning by 42 runs and five wickets respectively in their two meetings last year. They might also be the better team on paper in WPL 2024, but UPW aren't far behind and have some serious talent.

Can DC secure a win and compete with table-toppers MI, like they did last year, or will UPW be the team to get off the mark?

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WPL 2024, Match 4: DC and UPW in search of first win

UPW's bowling attack is heavily reliant on their spinners. Grace Harris, Deepti Sharma, Sophie Ecclestone and Rajeshwari Gayakwad did the bulk of the bowling against RCB, and the plan seemed to be working, too.

In contrast, the Capitals bowling lineup is pace-heavy, with Shikha Pandey, Arundhati Reddy, Marizanne Kapp and Annabel Sutherland being the protagonists. Arundhati, in particular, bowled well against MI and justified her selection ahead of Titas Sadhu.

So the contest could come down to which team has a batting lineup suited to counter the strengths of the opposition. DC have enough good players of spin in their middle order, while UPW might struggle against the pace and bounce of the Capitals bowlers.

In Vrinda Dinesh, KP Navgire and Shweta Sehrawat, UPW have three domestic batters with huge ceilings. But all three aren't finished products and might not be up to the task just yet.

The toss has played a somewhat important role in the WPL, with chasing proving to be the better option. But the team batting first should also be in the game, with the 7:30 pm IST start of play negating the effect of dew.

If DC get their plans right against UPW's overseas batters, namely Alyssa Healy, Tahlia McGrath and Grace Harris, they should secure the victory on Monday. Knowing Meg Lanning, she's bound to have chalked out a few plans against her compatriots.

Prediction: DC to win Match 3 of WPL 2024