Mumbai Indians, captained by Harmanpreet Kaur, defeated Delhi Capitals in the finals and won the title of the first season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL). Mumbai achieved the target of 132 runs with three balls to spare in the final match held at the Brabourne Stadium on 26th March.
If we look at this title journey of Mumbai Indians, the team unitedly performed brilliantly. However, the performance of some players was particularly impressive. Let’s see about those five players of Mumbai Indians who performed brilliantly in the entire WPL season.
- Haley Matthews: Haley Mathews was the biggest superstar of the Mumbai Indians’ victory. West Indies captain Hayley Mathews scored 271 runs in 10 matches at an average of 30.11, including a half-century. Hayley Mathews also wreaked havoc with the ball and took 16 wickets at an average of 12.62. In the final match, too, Haley Mathews dismissed three players for just 5 runs. Sophie Ecclestone also took 16 wickets in the entire tournament. But Hayley Mathews’s average was better than her, so she got the Purple Cap. Not only this but Haley Mathews was also selected as the Most Valuable Player.
- Nat Sciver-Brunt: English all-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt also contributed significantly to the title win. Brunt scored 332 runs in 10 matches at an average of 66.40. She was second in terms of scoring the most runs this season. Nat Sciver-Brunt scored an unbeaten 60 in the final as well. Brunt also took 10 wickets while performing brilliantly in bowling.
- Amelia Kerr: New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr performed brilliantly for her team throughout the season. Kerr took 15 wickets at just 14.06. Kerr also made valuable contributions to his team with the bat, scoring 149 runs at an average of 37.25.
- Issy Wong: This fast bowler from England took a memorable hat-trick in the Eliminator match against UP Warriors. Then in the final match against Delhi, Issy Wong took the first three wickets. Issy took 15 wickets in 10 matches at an average of 14.00.
- Harmanpreet Kaur: Mumbai Indians captain Harmanpreet Kaur led her team from the front. Harmanpreet Kaur scored 281 runs at an average of 40.41, which included three half-centuries. Harmanpreet is the second-highest run-scorer for her team.
Women’s Premier League 2023:-
- Most runs – Meg Lanning (345)
- Highest Average – Nat Sciver-Brunt (66.4)
- Highest strike rate – Shefali Verma (185.29)
- Highest Score – Sophie Devine 99 runs vs. Gujarat Giants
- Most sixes – Shefali Verma (13), Sophie Devine (13)
- Most wickets – Hayley Mathews (16), Sophie Ecclestone (16)
- Best bowling figures – Marizanne Kapp (5/15) vs. Gujarat Giants