The Women’s Premier League (WPL) has quickly become a thrilling showcase of talent, captivating cricket fans worldwide. While towering sixes and match-winning innings often steal the spotlight, it’s the bowlers who quietly orchestrate the game’s momentum. Harmanpreet Kaur’s Mumbai Indians were crowned as the inaugural champions of the tournament in 2023. Smriti Mandhana led a spirited bunch of girls to rewrite history, ending the franchise’s 16-year-long wait for the trophy and clinching their maiden title in the 2nd edition of the tournament.
In a format known for its explosive batting, these five exceptional bowlers have consistently bamboozled the best batters, etching their names in WPL history as one of the leading wicket-takers. From the guile of left-arm spin to the cunning of leg-breaks and the raw power of pace, each bowler brings a unique flavour to the game. As we gear up for the 3rd edition of the WPL on February 14th, 2025, let’s celebrate the incredible achievements of these five maestros who have spun, bounced, and swung their way to the top five of the wicket-takers list in the history of WPL.
Top 5 Leading wicket-takers in the Women’s Premier League:
1) Sophie Ecclestone – UP Warriorz:
The 25-year-old left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder from England, Sophie Ecclestone, was roped in by the UP Warriorz in the inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL). She was the joint-highest wicket-taker of the inaugural edition of the tournament with 16 wickets to her name alongside Hayley Matthews. On the back of her outstanding returns with the ball in the inaugural edition, she was retained by the franchise in the 2nd edition of the tournament in 2024.
She has picked up 27 scalps across the first couple of editions at an impressive average of 16.37 and an economy of 6.59 in 17 innings with the ball for her side in the tournament so far. She is currently topping the wicket-taking charts in the tournament. Her best performance with the ball for the UP Warriorz came on 10th March 2023 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru when she returned with brilliant match figures of 3.3-0-13-4 in her spell at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. She returned with 11 wickets in 8 innings with the ball for her side in the previous edition of the tournament. She has also been retained by the franchise for the upcoming 3rd edition of the tournament.
2) Saika Ishaque – Mumbai Indians:
The 29-year-old left-arm spinner from Bengal has been one of the finds of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) after the Harmanpreet Kaur-led Mumbai Indians picked her in the inaugural edition of the tournament. She is currently placed 2nd on the all-time list of wicket-takers with 24 wickets at an impressive average of 18.04 and an economy of 7.23 in 19 innings with the ball for her side across the first couple of editions of the tournament. Her best performance with the ball for Mumbai Indians came on 4th March 2023 against Gujarat Giants in the curtain raiser of the inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL). She returned with outstanding figures of 3.1-1-11-4 in her match-defining spell at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai.
She ended the inaugural edition of the tournament as the joint 2nd highest wicket-taker with 15 wickets alongside Melie Kerr and Issy Wong. She was retained by the franchise in the 2nd edition. However, there was a sharp dip in her returns as she picked up nine wickets in 9 innings. She has been retained by the franchise for the upcoming 3rd edition of the tournament.
3) Hayley Matthews – Mumbai Indians:
The experienced 26-year-old opening batter and the West Indies skipper Hayley Matthews was an after-thought addition to the Mumbai Indians squad in the inaugural edition of the WPL. The move eventually proved to be a masterstroke for Mumbai Indians as she played a pivotal role with her all-round heroics, pipped Sophie Ecclestone to clinch the purple cap, topping the wicket-taking charts with 16 wickets at a sensational average of 12.62 and an economy of 5.94 in 10 innings with the ball for her side in the inaugural edition.
Her best performance with the ball for Mumbai Indians came on 26th March 2023 against Delhi Capitals, when she returned with impeccable match figures of 4-2-5-3 in her game-changing spell at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, in the inaugural final. She was also named the Player of the Tournament for her all-round show, setting the tournament alight.
She was also a prominent contributor with the bat as she ended the inaugural edition as the 5th highest run-scorer of the tournament and the 3rd highest run-scorer for her side with 271 runs at a strike rate of 126.04 and an impressive average of 30.11 in 10 innings with the bat for her side. Her tally of runs included an unbeaten half-century (77*) in the inaugural season.
There was a significant dip in her returns with the ball in the 2nd edition as she picked up seven wickets at an economy of 7.53 in 9 innings with the ball for her side. She also scored 180 runs at a strike rate of 113.20 in 9 innings. She has been retained by the franchise for the upcoming 3rd edition of the tournament.
4) Melie Kerr – Mumbai Indians:
The promising 24-year-old young White Ferns sensation Melie Kerr was roped in by Mumbai Indians in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2023. She is currently placed 3rd in the all-time wicket-takers list with 22 scalps at an impressive average of 19.20 and an economy of 7.57 in 19 innings with the ball for her side. Her best performance with the ball for Mumbai Indians came on 25th February 2024 against Gujarat Giants in the 3rd match of the 2nd edition of the tournament.
She returned with impressive match figures of 4-0-17-4 in her spell at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. She was also awarded the Player of the Match for her all-round contributions. She scored 149 runs at an impressive strike rate of 133.03 and a staggering average of 37.25 in seven innings with the bat for her side in the inaugural edition in 2023.
She was the 2nd highest run-scorer for the franchise in the 2nd edition after skipper Harmanpreet Kaur with 215 runs at a strike rate of 129.51 and an impressive average of 135.83 in nine innings with the bat for her side. She has been retained by the franchise for the upcoming 3rd edition of the WPL.
5) Marizanne Kapp – Delhi Capitals:
The veteran 35-year-old South African all-rounder Marizanne Kapp was roped in by Delhi Capitals in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2023. She currently stands in the 5th position in the all-time wicket-takers list with 20 wickets at an impressive average of 19.10 and an economy of 5.96 in 16 innings across a couple of editions in the tournament. Her best performance with the ball for Delhi Capitals came on 11th March 2023 against Gujarat Giants when she destroyed the opposition with her breathtaking spell of 4-0-15-5 at the DY Patil Stadium. She was also awarded the Player of the Match for her game-changing spell.
She was the 2nd highest wicket-taker for her side in the inaugural edition with 9 wickets in 9 innings with the ball for her side. She was the joint-highest wicket-taker for her side in the 2nd edition of the tournament with 11 wickets at an average of 16 and an economy of 6.28 in seven innings with the ball for her franchise.
She scored 177 runs at a strike rate of 121.23 and an outstanding average of 44.25 in seven innings with the bat for her side in the inaugural edition. She scored 79 runs at a strike rate of 133.89 in six innings with the bat in the 2nd edition of the tournament. She was retained by Delhi Capitals for the upcoming 3rd edition of the WPL from 14th February 2025.
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