The inaugural tournament of Tata Women's Premier League 2023 has completed all 20 league matches and the stage is all set for the eliminator round and the finals.
WPL is the first-ever women's tournament match played in India with a huge crowd garnering massive appeal. This season of Tata WPL has provided the perfect stage to demonstrate the talents and abilities of the cricketers. Many top female cricketers both from India and overseas participated in this tournament. Even though some of the players are regulars for Team India, the WPL has provided a chance to compete with the world's best cricketers. However, the best players of the Indian Team have received tough competition from budding talents. The tournament has become a great example and scope for the upcoming female sports enthusiasts that they can shine anywhere and everywhere they want to. The game itself has proven to India and the world that women can showcase their talents in every field possible.
The Tata WPL 2023 is a great initiative taken by the Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) for female players. It was an event to be started before but due to several circumstances, it got delayed. The first match of the tournament was on 4 March 2023 hosted at two places. DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai, and Brabourne Stadium, CCI were the two selected places for the matches.
The five teams, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Capitals, UP Warriorz, and Gujarat Giants competed against each other in 20 rounds where the top team Delhi Capitals secured the highest points and got a direct ticket to the finals. Whereas the teams who have been the power players during the tournament were Mumbai Indians and UP Warriorz who will compete in the Eliminators on Friday 24 March. The team who will win the eliminator will get a chance to compete with Delhi Capitals in the finals on Sunday 24 March.
People have witnessed some of the most exciting moments occur during the matches with top female players giving splendid performances on the field. These are the top favorite players throughout the tournament.
Meg Lanning
Meghann Moira Lanning AM is an Australian cricketer who presently serves as the captain of the Australian women's cricket team. Meghann has scored over 7,000 runs in international cricket across all formats and also led Australia to multiple World Cup victories, which includes the 2013 and 2017 editions of the tournament. She is widely considered one of the best female cricketers around the globe. Not only for her home matches but she has given an outstanding performance during the Indian inaugural tournament of Tata Women's Premier League 2023. Meg has been selected as the captain of the table-topper team Delhi Capitals.
She currently holds the Orange Cap by securing the highest 310 runs during the tournament. She is among the top players of the Tata WPL who have given tough competition to her competitors.
Sophie Ecclestone
Sophie Ecclestone is an English cricketer who currently plays for the England women's cricket team. The left-arm spinner is one of the best young talents in world cricket. She is also the finest bowler of the Tata WPL 2023. Sophie holds the purple cap taking the highest 14 wickets during the league matches. The top-ranked spinner in both ODIs and T20Is has led her team UP Warriorz to enter into the eliminator round where they will compete against Mumbai Indians on Friday 24 March.
Hayley Matthews
One of the finest players of the Indian WPL team Mumbai Indians, Hayley Matthews is ranked at the first position in Fantasy Points. With 754 points she is the all-rounder player during the tournament. Hayley is an off-spin bowler who bats in the top order has made her debut for the West Indies in 2014 when she was 16. With her aggressive batting style and useful off-spin bowling, she has solidified her position as a key player in the team. Her significant contribution to the West Indies over Australia in the ICC Women's World Twenty20 final in 2016 led to their victory. She was also provided the 'Player of the Match award at the finals.
Jemimah Rodrigues
The top-order batter and the team's most reliable and consistent performer of the Indian women's cricket team, Jemimah Rodrigues has become widely popular for her catches during the Tata WPL tournament. She plays for Delhi Capitals and has built up a great fanbase for her game. The all-rounder player has made an exemplary performance by scoring 22 runs off 15 balls against Royal Challengers Bangalore. She is a quick fielder who got several catches of her opponent team players during the match. Rodrigues has also played in various T20 leagues around the globe, which includes the Women's Big Bash League in Australia.
Harmanpreet Kaur
The captain of the Indian Women's National Cricket Team also serves as the skipper of the WPL team, Mumbai Indians is an Indian all-rounder cricketer. She has been the power player of her team scoring three fifties during the match. Although being dismissed from the 1st position by white baller Sophie Ecclestone, Harmanpreet led the team brilliantly by preventing the opposition teams to trigger her team’s batting. In her International career she has achieved some notable positions, she became the first Indian cricketer, both male and female to sign a contract with an overseas T20 franchise by joining Sydney Thunder in the Women's Big Bash League in Australia. Harmanpreet is popular for her aggressive batting style, athletic fielding, and powerful bowling.
