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Mumbai Indians have made a significant change to their squad ahead of the upcoming Women's Premier League (WPL), which begins on February 14. The franchise has announced the addition of Parunika Sisodia, the Under-19 World Cup winner, as a replacement for seasoned Indian pace bowler Pooja Vastrakar. Vastrakar, who has been an integral part of India's women’s team, was recently ruled out of the competition due to a knee injury, which has kept her sidelined from competitive cricket since October 2024. Sisodia, a left-arm spinner, was a standout performer during India Women’s U-19 team’s successful title-winning campaign in the ICC Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup.
She played a key role with the ball, taking 10 wickets in six matches, showcasing her talent and proving herself as one of the vital contributors to the team's success. Her stellar performances in the tournament earned her recognition, and she was initially acquired by Gujarat Giants Women during the inaugural season of the WPL. Now, she has joined Mumbai Indians Women for a price of INR 10 lakh. This new opportunity presents a chance for Sisodia to continue her growth at the professional level and make an impact in the highly competitive WPL, where she will aim to build on her promising potential and further solidify her standing in women's cricket.
The defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), have made a crucial change to their squad ahead of the Women's Premier League 2025 season. The franchise has replaced the injured Asha Sobhana with wicketkeeper-batter Nuzhat Parween, who hails from Madhya Pradesh. Parween, who represents Railways in domestic cricket, has also represented India Women in five T20Is. She will join RCB-W for her base price of INR 30 lakh.
Sobhana, a leg-spinning all-rounder, was a key player for RCB in the previous edition of the WPL, finishing as the second-highest wicket-taker with 12 wickets. However, she has been sidelined with an injury since featuring in the Women's T20 World Cup in October 2024, and is still recovering. With Sobhana out of action, Parween's addition will bring valuable experience and depth to RCB's squad as they aim to defend their title in the upcoming season.
Along with Asha Sobhana, Shreyanka Patil's participation in the upcoming WPL 2025 remains uncertain as she continues to recover from a shin injury. Both players missed India's recent home season and their three-match ODI tour to Australia due to their respective injuries. While Sobhana is recovering from a knee injury, Patil's extended rehabilitation has cast doubt on her availability for the start of the WPL season.
In Sobhana's absence, Royal Challengers Bengaluru made the strategic move to bring in Nuzhat Parween as a replacement. Patil, who has been a valuable asset for RCB in previous seasons, will be sorely missed if she is unable to feature. The defending champions will need to adapt without two key players if they are to defend their title in 2025. The curtain-raiser for WPL 2025 will be an exciting clash between Gujarat Giants and Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The match is scheduled to take place at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara, with the game set to kick off at 7:30 PM IST on Friday, February 14. Fans are eagerly anticipating this thrilling opening encounter of the season.