The inaugural match of the 2026 WPL season will be played between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on January 9. The second game is between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals on January 10 from 7:30 pm. The last time both the teams met was in the final of the 2025 WPL season, where MI secured the title, defeating DC by 8 runs.
Delhi Capitals have played all three finals but have failed to secure the title even once. This is concerning for the fans, the players and the coaching staff. With exit of Lisa Keightley – who was assistant to Jonathan Batty, the head coach – from DC, Anagha Deshpande has joined the franchise as the new assistant coach. The first match will be a challenge for DC as Keightley is a part of the Mumbai Indians now and is aware of the strength and weaknesses of the team.
The girls from DC were seen engaging with the new assistant coach in an intense, high-intensity fielding session. It included ground fielding, one-hand pick-up-and-throws, and aiming at the stumps. Anagha was seen correcting the youngsters on their technique as well.
Anagha will play a crucial part in the team set-up as she is well accustomed to the domestic circuit. She has coached the Under-19 and Under-23 Uttarakhand domestic team and helped them reach the finals of various important tournaments. Youngsters like Nandini Kashyap and Raghvi Bisht have dedicated their success in the WPL to her.
DC have youngsters like Mamatha Madiwal and Nandini Sharma who are still learning and giving their best. Anagha understands the domestic circuit and will be of great help to the players from the grassroot levels as she understands their psychology and their thought processes. The language barrier will be less as she will play a key role to lessen the communication gap between senior international stars like Marizanne Kapp and the young Indian bunch.
Anagha has represented India as a wicketkeeper and played 23 ODIs. Being a wicketkeeper, she has a high field awareness; a quality that the youngsters will do well to learn. Anagha has also backed the new DC captain Jemimah Rodrigues, calling her a “natural leader”.
DC will go into the 2026 season eyeing the trophy and ending their jinx after three consecutive heartbreaks.
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