Mumbai Indians skipper Harmanpreet Kaur will have to tame expectations that are generally placed on the title holders

Hayley Matthews looked in good touch during the Women's T20 World Cup and the inaugural edition last year, and she is likely to open the batting alongside Yastika Bhatia, whose left-handedness gives MI a point of difference at the top.

Arguably the world's leading allrounder, Nat-Sciver Brunt comes into the WPL off the back of an excellent Women's T20 World Cup campaign, where she looked in prime touch with the bat.

Pooja Vastrakar, India's fastest bowler and an improving batter, will fill a spot in the lower middle order. However, Mumbai have spent big on their core, which means their squad is only 17-strong and doesn't necessarily have the depth of their rivals.

Another priority for Mumbai, Heather Graham has so far she looked in prime touch with the bat, looking an excellent piece of business at the price she was retained by MI this year. It must be remembered that Vastrakar, Sciver-Brunt, and Graham all offer all-round options, which gives MI the option of stacking their batting but also places plenty of pressure on their big players.